[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6373206,"mediaKeyId","2146180-39de87e87398190dee619684a40d6cdd","parentId",2146180,"title","House File 8 advances from Environment and Natural Resources Committee after debate on permit timelines, EAW petition limits and ombudsman","audioSeconds",1823,"startMs",1509000,"endMs",3332000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2146180-39de87e87398190dee619684a40d6cdd&start=1509&end=3332","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2146180-39de87e87398190dee619684a40d6cdd/thumbnail_1509000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6373206/Minnesota/House-File-8-advances-from-Environment-and-Natural-Resources-Committee-after-debate-on-permit-timelines-EAW-petition-limits-and-ombudsman","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6373206-67fe28ae74770a3df9e403e4317f83b4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771136995&Signature=cZZqIJ60qvudozcb~40WVEp0-BgNV4D9la9xE~3z-z7dZBpBeViF-bwnXEUeQG-stlTnF4jO89Nd4o0YnLoVyJT8VX1Y~L46t9Cc-z~ikf0JjdY7c9eGYnVBTUEWrQdbZR3HvpzRoORyz5~ewuRfecHgK3dmXSBV5BHDRVpzGWxzpXPF3wtz0G2C-2HoOXAJXehHhku0zEcKrkRJSNiGsDSklo1xMpoR84yYzL9xScOOSz0-RlvU3E1gvEcHNr8gb6AGhB81tz8ShLqDxu67MHi3PoJNqH3qjwHhBsbdbuOFqq6mQqLyNNP95IEWlZZhl9IwZZ1mwEQDvNpF8HFXkw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","MNHouseInfo","date","2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","article","The Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Committee advanced House File 8, a bipartisan permitting reform bill that would change multiple aspects of Minnesota’s environmental and wetland permitting processes, after testimony from industry and watershed groups and brief committee debate.

Representative Heintzeman presented the bill and walked members through the measure section by section. He described the bill as focused on “maintaining standards” while improving predictability and timing for applicants. Heintzeman summarized nine substantive sections that would: limit the number of 60-day Wetland Conservation Act extensions local government can take without applicant agreement; require more frequent MPCA permitting efficiency reports and permit-level tracking; clarify that failure to meet the MPCA’s 150-day tier 2 goal can create a final action eligible for judicial review; require the MPCA to notify applicants immediately if an application is incomplete; allow separate construction and operating permits; expand and better-structure the expedited permitting option; limit who may petition for an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) to 100 people from the same or adjoining county; create a business permitting ombudsman at DEED; remove scoping EAWs for projects that already require a mandatory Environmental Impact Statement (EIS); and add an intent section saying the bill would not relax environmental standards.

Representative Nelson offered and the committee adopted the A1 amendment, which clarifies that local government review and state review (including EAW processes) may proceed concurrently in applicable cases. Representative Nelson described the amendment as a clarification that avoids confusion about sequencing.

Committee members heard four external witnesses in support of the bill. Lauren Servick, director of public policy strategy and sustainability for the Minnesota Pork Producers Association, told the committee that drawn-out and inconsistent permitting delays raise costs and can halt projects; she said Minnesota’s roughly 3,000 family pig farmers need a predictable process and called the bill a way to unlock agricultural investment.

Andrew Morley, Environmental Policy Director at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, testified the bill is “technology neutral” and reiterated findings from the Chamber Foundation report that Minnesota’s air permitting can take far longer than peer states; he said HF 8 would help Minnesota remain competitive without lowering environmental standards. “Obtaining environmental permits does not need to be this difficult,” Morley said.

Robert Sipp, executive director of the Red River Watershed Management Board, described a portfolio of watershed projects with roughly $39 million in current financial commitments and about $70 million in total investment to date; he said permit and review costs already approached $5 million for that portfolio and that projects sometimes require many state and federal permits. Sipp urged greater coordination between agencies and more recognition of regional processes.

Lucas Shostrom, executive director of the Minnesota Milk Producers Association, said permit sequencing and timing have thwarted farm projects for years and said the bill’s changes to align review and streamline sequencing would help dairy operations complete time-sensitive construction.

After questions and discussion, Representative Heintzeman renewed his motion to recommend House File 8 as amended to be re-referred to the Labor and Workforce Development Committee. The committee chair called for voice votes; the committee adopted the A1 amendment and then approved the motion to re-refer HF 8. The record shows the motions prevailed by voice vote; no roll-call tally was provided in the transcript. The committee adjourned after concluding the agenda.

The bill drew letters of support from labor and industry groups (including building trades, mining interests, agri-growth and biofuels), and the record notes at least some organizations opposed the bill and planned to testify. The author said the MPCA was invited to the hearing but declined to attend; the record shows the Minnesota Chamber Foundation and Chamber leaders had previously briefed the governor and MPCA on the underlying permitting study.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee 1/23/25","oneSentenceSummary","Lawmakers heard testimony from agriculture, business and watershed representatives and adopted an amendment clarifying concurrent local and state review. The committee recommended re-referral of House File 8 to Labor and Workforce Development.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MN, Minnesota","taxId",77817,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6373211,"Chamber Foundation report finds Minnesota air and water permits far slower than peers; recommends faster timelines and greater transparency",1039,121000,1160000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2146180-39de87e87398190dee619684a40d6cdd&start=121&end=1160","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2146180-39de87e87398190dee619684a40d6cdd/thumbnail_121000.jpg","/articles/6373211/Minnesota/Chamber-Foundation-report-finds-Minnesota-air-and-water-permits-far-slower-than-peers-recommends-faster-timelines-and-greater-transparency","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6373211-11fe630ddc64ce0f80cd9009052e6629/orig.mp4?Expires=1771136995&Signature=RAVr2HVcSmRDF2W2p3LlIpo2oZHKLeWtOyc4QSed7VYUPBzk-vfi92kdAaMM2vhkCghaUUmDpfQDoDvYwCG-fuzJhkVcbwZGvjK2Q2-KlsGC5YuvWH0hzcsFqZAF91F-4S2Ei77NkxX-2UHGAVi0kUlzQwrfQBLJXhd2iAktkX~W0-oWgMz1BfwltVQD0xHvX0fZfiEhtcaNftbrW8zLOBcn59ok0IqC7dc2kJc5B7QM0wLuPvQFtf3PrSnoTrmXd-pt89Jy3T0S5pLc5H7569--vD9cRdFjpOk9~l-~RcIynT-w-DSa20CvBS4W8D6VBgzOFV9-bHHSoI2VbtFf-g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Minnesota Chamber Foundation told the House Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Committee that significant delays in state environmental permitting are costing the state investment and jobs.

The foundation’s executive director, Jennifer Byers, introduced the study and said the research was intended to add data to a long-running concern from businesses and site selectors that Minnesota’s permitting process discourages investment. “Our flagship report is called Minnesota 2030,” Byers said, describing the Foundation’s work before turning the presentation over to a coauthor of the technical analysis.

The technical presentation, led by Sean O'Neill, summarized permit data compiled by Barr Engineering and economic estimates by Policy Navigation Group. The report distinguished between MPCA’s tier 1 permits, which have a 90-day agency goal and are generally routine, and tier 2 permits, which are facility-specific, carry public comment periods and have a 150-day goal.

O'Neill said most tier 1 air permits were issued rapidly—the median was 29 days—but tier 2 air permits often took many times longer. Between 2018 and 2023 he reported median times for tier 2 air permits in priority cases ranging from 419 to 771 days, with a median of 351 days and an average of 586 days. For non-priority tier 2 air permits he said the median was 887 days and the mean approximately 1,300 days.

Comparing federal air permits across peer states, the report found Minnesota’s average timelines were 1.5 to 6 times longer than several peers. O'Neill said states such as Iowa and Illinois averaged about 110 days while Minnesota averaged 656 days in the same five-year comparison. Policy Navigation Group estimated that reducing Minnesota’s timeframes to peer levels could raise annual output by an estimated $260 million to $910 million and create an additional 960 to 34,100 full-time-equivalent jobs annually, figures O'Neill described as model-based estimates rather than precise counts.

The researchers also examined water permitting and found similar timeline challenges for tier 2 industrial water permits, though those permits were less frequent. From 2018 the agency received only 15 priority industrial water permit applications; of those, three met the 150-day goal. Barr Engineering reported the average issuance timeframe was 377 days for major modifications and 476 days for new permits. The team also identified 152 administratively continued water permits as of Q3 2023, with those permits extended an average of 6.6 years—nearly twice the average reported for other states.

The report’s three primary recommendations were: (1) reduce issuance time for priority tier 2 air and water permits toward the 150-day goal, (2) address backlog of permit renewals and minor modifications, and (3) increase transparency and collaboration with applicants. O'Neill highlighted potential reforms such as separating construction and operating permits (a model used in several peer states) and restructuring the state’s expedited permitting option to make it more accessible and trackable.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about which businesses typically need tier 2 permits and how the authors engaged state officials. Byers said the Foundation had briefed and met with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and had taken the study to the governor when it was released. O'Neill cautioned that estimated economic impacts were based on multipliers and acknowledged uncertainty in precise counts. “It’s hard to get a precise number,” he said, noting the estimates are intended to illustrate scale rather than provide a definitive lost-job tally.

The full technical report and supporting slides were made available by the Minnesota Chamber Foundation and its contractors; committee members and the public were invited to review the underlying data and recommendations.","A Minnesota Chamber Foundation study presented to the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee found median issuance times for priority tier 2 air permits measured in hundreds of days, far exceeding state goals and peer-state averages. The report recommends reducing tier 2 timelines, clearing renewal backlogs and increasing transparency.","actionData","errors"]

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House File 8 advances from Environment and Natural Resources Committee after debate on permit timelines, EAW petition limits and ombudsman

Chamber Foundation report finds Minnesota air and water permits far slower than peers; recommends faster timelines and greater transparency