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Bill would let DEQ hold public hearings online and removes $10 water-well permit fee
Summary
SB 24-15 would allow the Department of Environmental Quality to host required public hearings in the relevant county, municipality, or via an online platform; it also removes a $10 permit fee for water wells. The committee adopted the committee sub and reported the bill.
Senate Bill 24-15, presented to the committee as an efficiency measure from the Department of Environmental Quality, would permit the agency to host statutorily required public hearings in the county or municipality where a permit is required or online. The chair said DEQ has found in-person hearings sometimes require several hours of travel and attract little attendance, and giving DEQ the option of an online venue could reduce travel burdens while preserving the public-hearing requirement.
The bill also deletes language charging a $10 permit fee for water wells; the chair said the department concluded collecting $10 was more trouble than it was worth. Committee members moved to adopt the committee sub and voted to report SB 24-15 out of committee.
