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By PAUL WHELAN
Capital Ntwi Service
RICHMOND — After a General Assembly session marked by few partisan flare-ups, Gov. George Allen and his administration are claiming victory on many legislative initiatives including one that streamlines general permits issued by the state air and water pollution control boards.
General permits, which regulate air and water pollutants, fall under the umbrella of the Administrative Process Act. Current APA guidelines mandate that requests for general permits follow a rigorous 10-step process to safeguard the community and the environment. The Department of Environmental Quality handles the process.
Del. John S. Reid, R-Henrico, said the proposed legislation not only expedites issuing permits by reducing it to three steps, but he thinks it also provides sufficient safeguards for everyone.
For the past several years, businesses have complained that the process, which sometimes takes longer than 12 months, is too slow and cumbersome.
Mike McKenna, DEQ’s director of policy and external affairs, said the DEQ approached Del. Reid after the business community complained to his department. Del. Reid then took the matter to the House of Delegates during its recent session, proposing tjiat lawmakers eliminate steps in the process.
The House Committee on General Laws considered the proposal, and several environmentalist groups, including the Southern Environmental Law Center and the Lower James River Association, voiced opposition to it.
Patty Jackson, spokesperson for
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