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DEQ outlines permitting reforms: permit‑by‑rule, checklists and e‑permitting pilots to shorten review times
Summary
The Department of Environmental Quality reported interim steps to speed permitting and improve transparency, including new permit‑by‑rule authorizations in air quality, checklists for waste permits, a drinking‑water rule expansion, and plans to pilot contractor‑assisted reviews and e‑permitting dashboards.
Tim Davis, executive director of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, presented an interim report on the department's implementation of permitting reforms urged by the governor's executive order and House Bill 85.
Davis said the reforms aim to increase speed and predictability without weakening environmental standards. Key actions reported include:
- Division of Air Quality: developed seven permit‑by‑rule (PBR) authorizations (exceeding the HB 85 directive for five) for specified activities such as fuel storage tanks, abrasive blasting, degreasing operations, municipal landfills, emergency engines, dry cleaners and auto‑body refinishing sources. Under PBR, applicants that meet rule criteria submit a notification and may proceed after certification.
- Division of Drinking Water: expanded PBR for certain water‑line installations in partnership with the American Public Works Association, allowing systems to install lines up to 16 inches without engineering review where criteria are met.
- Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control: developed 15 application checklists intended to improve first‑round completeness and shorten review cycles.
- Pilot consultant‑assisted reviews: for particularly complex permits (example cited: Energy Fuels project in San Juan County), applicants have contracted approved consultants to do preparatory review work to reduce agency time; DEQ staff retain final responsibility to ensure legal compliance.
- E‑permitting and dashboards: DEQ is developing online permitting tools and dashboards to let applicants track application status and improve accountability.
Davis said some actions (for example, checklists and PBRs) have already reduced some timelines and that DEQ will continue to evaluate outcomes; he also said agency staff will pursue legislative proposals to extend authority where appropriate, including seeking statutory groundwork for a Utah nuclear regulatory office to allow the state to adopt its own nuclear regulatory framework.
Commissioners praised improved communication and transparency and asked for follow‑up metrics and accountability features to be shared with the commission and affected municipalities.
