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Sponsor seeks to move DES licensing and fine appeals to independent environmental councils
Summary
Senator Howard Pearl introduced a bill to route licensing and fine appeals from the Department of Environmental Services (DES) directly to independent environmental councils, aiming to avoid an agency hearing its own appeals and to improve perceived fairness; Commissioner Bob Scott and the Air Resources Council discussed process, drafting corrections and a proposed 30‑day stay during appeals.
Senator Howard Pearl told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that his bill would "bring appeals of license actions and fine actions by New Hampshire DES in line with the appeals process for permit decisions" and would route those appeals to separate independent environmental councils appointed by the governor with Executive Council approval. He said the change is intended to address the perception that "the aggrieved person or entity does not get a fair hearing because the same agency that made the decision is also deciding the appeal." The bill would also permit the Department of Justice to hire a hearing officer for those council appeals and cleans up several outdated statutory…
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