New Permit Rules to Aid Coastal Recovery

New emergency rules filed by the Christie Administration with the Office of Administrative Law and the Department of Environmental Protection will help eliminate recovery red tape by easing permitting restrictions and encouraging coastal reconstruction following Hurricane Sandy, according to NJDEP. 

The new rules will streamline state permits for various types of rebuilding projects, which will assist in the recovery and reconstruction of homes and businesses, as well as marinas and shellfish industries. The new rules will also expedite dredging of storm-impacted private lagoons and marinas, helping make coastal areas more resilient to future storms.

The rebuilding activities that will benefit from the less intense permitting process are those largely occurring on the same footprint and involving minimal additional environmental impacts. The changes will help property owners, businesses and municipalities rebuild more efficiently but reducing, or in some cases eliminating, the need for DEP review. 

The process will also help save fees and other costs associated with typically complex permit requirements.

Among the benefits of the emergency rules order is the allowance of maintenance of engineered breaches and dunes to federal project design levels through municipal dune and beach maintenance permits, easing of permitting for individuals developing living shorelines, which help prevent flooding naturally, the elimination of permits to elevate piers or bulkheads, and allowing for general permits instead of individual permits when it comes to dredging private waterways, among other adjustments.

For a complete copy of the emergency rules, as well as the permit changes, visit: http://www.nj.gov/dep/rules/notices/20130416a.html

For information on statewide elevation standards, visit: http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0026.htm