Dear Environment Committee Members -
Please oppose HB 6586, AAC Expedited Economic Development Permit Application Teams.
HB 6586 would
create a complex new regulatory track for large projects that would remove
vital protections and impose unreasonable deadlines on agencies. So long as a municipality determines the
project could create at least 10 jobs, the act would create a new regulatory
process that would override existing law and require final agency action by municipalities
and state agencies within 90 days of a completed permit application.
The bill would also place additional strains on overextended
and underfunded agencies. It would require
substantial expenditures by DOT ($715,000 per year), DEP (full time position +
benefits) and DECD (full time position + benefits and additional legal costs)
at a time when these agencies are already facing shortages of staff and cutting
back on necessary functions.
While we have not objected to measures to facilitate review
of projects of regional significance (6466) this bill is significantly
different and would substantially weaken
the ability of local agencies and DEP to protect the environment.
Please vote against this bill.
For more information please contact:
Lori Brown, CT League
of Conservation Voters - (860) 236-5442
Roger Reynolds, CT
Fund for the Environment - (860) 997-3223
Margaret Miner, Rivers
Alliance of CT
- (860) 361-9359
The broader list of bills that are being tracked by
environmental leaders can be viewed on our watchlist at www.ctlcv.org/watchlist. Please check this list for updates and contact us if you have questions or
concerns.
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