Land Application: PermitsDecision Time Period

The time it takes to issue an ND permit can vary greatly between permit applications. There are many factors that affect the time period for issuing a permit. These factors include, but are not limited to:  the characteristics of the discharge; the characteristics of the land application site(s); the location of the discharge in relationship to shellfish waters, and drinking water intakes or wells; whether or not a public hearing must be held; the work load of the Department at the time of application; etc.  Therefore, the Department can never guarantee any permit applicant a certain time period for making a permit decision.

However, the Department is able to provide minimum and maximum estimates for the Department's time period based on our past experiences.  The following table gives the estimated minimum and maximum time periods for the different Bureau steps in processing an ND permit application.
 

Bureau of Water Estimated Time Periods for the Steps in Issuing a Permit
Step
 Minimum Time in Days
Maximum Time in Days
Administrative review of application
1
5
Technical review of application
1
7
Site visit by permit writer
0 (not conducted)
14
Review of existing data
0
30
Site visit by Geohydrological Section
14
30
Determine limits and permit conditions
7
90
Lead time for public notice
14
14
Public notice period
30
30
Mail to clear to receive all comments
5
5
Review of comments
1
30
Public hearing (if necessary)
60
60
Review of hearing comments
1
30
Revise permit based on comments
1
45
Prepare response to comments
1
30
Issue permit decision
1
15
Totals without a public hearing
76
345
Totals with a public hearing
137
435

As stated earlier, the total times given above are based only on the Department's actions. Since the Bureau must occasionally request additional information from applicants and proposed permits are normally sent to applicants for comments before they are public noticed, the time that it takes applicants to respond must be added to the above total times to get estimates of the total amount of time it takes to receive an ND permit.  Generally, an applicant's response time varies from 30 to 90 days.

From the above information, it is very clear that the time to issue permits can vary significantly.  However, if public hearings are not required, most permits are issued within 180 to 270 days after applications are received.

Bureau of Water . Phone: (803) 898-4300 . Fax: (803) 898-4215 . Contact Us