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DEQ permitting bill draws wide testimony; committee hears support, concerns and requests for stronger guardrails
Summary
House Bill 4102 would clarify and modernize DEQ's authority to use applicant-funded contracts or temporary staff to expedite permitting. The Senate committee heard broad testimony: sponsors and industry urged the tool to reduce an 18+-month backlog; labor, environmental and community groups supported a dash-1 amendment adding conflict-of-interest checks and workforce standards; DEQ testified it retains final permit authority.
The Senate Energy and Environment Committee on Feb. 16 heard extended testimony and questioning on House Bill 4102, a measure that would clarify the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality's authority to enter agreements with applicants to expedite or enhance permitting processes.
Representative April Dobson, a sponsor, said DEQ has been chronically under-resourced and that long permit waits—often exceeding 18 months—have held back job creation and investment. "House Bill 4,102 strengthens an existing authority that allows DEQ to hire qualified professionals on a temporary basis at the request of applicants to help expedite permitting," Dobson told the committee, adding that the bill does not waive…
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