Arizona's Permits in Process interactive map

[aquafire]

This is a clever idea that I can get behind. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality released an interactive map that allows the public to see which permits are in play within the state. The map spells out who obtained the permit, what it's for, and which environmental projects will take place in their community. It also allows applicants to check the status of their permit application and to reach out to office employees with questions. I wish more states would take this route.

 

[Cass]

I like how they've done that. There's no way that community members could claim that they didn't know about building work or environmental work being done in their area. I like the way the pros have handled this issue. It looks very professional.

 

[W3 Planning and Research]

ADEQ is a total nightmare! On the applicant side it is a total joke. I am still waiting for call backs from 2 weeks ago! They don't allow modifications to permit, anytime you change ANYTHING, it is another $500 fee, so don't change your phone number, or email, or PO box, even though those have nothing to do with the actual permit.

For context, I do air quality general permits for mines in Arizona. They have made the process far more complicated than it needs to be with zero support for the new process.

 

[Eric]

ADEQ is a total nightmare! On the applicant side it is a total joke. I am still waiting for call backs from 2 weeks ago! They don't allow modifications to permit, anytime you change ANYTHING, it is another $500 fee, so don't change your phone number, or email, or PO box, even though those have nothing to do with the actual permit.

For context, I do air quality general permits for mines in Arizona. They have made the process far more complicated than it needs to be with zero support for the new process.

ADEQ explored, and almost took over, federal Clean Water Act Section 404 permitting a few years ago (the Corps generally issues CWA 404 permits but states have the ability assume the program if they want to). I recall ADEQ's proposed fees for CWA 404 permits was one of the issues that came up and part of the reason the program didn't move forward.

 

[W3 Planning and Research]

It would be horrible if they took over 404. ADEQ runs their fees the wrong way, trying to fund overly bloated departments. What they need is less office dwellers and more field people to actually do the work.

I involved them in an investigation years ago related to leaking chemicals. Extremely strong acids and bases that were stored seperately on a site on a leased railroad property. The chemicals were leaking into the ground directly over the fiber optic lines feeding the southeast part of the Phoenix area as well as the Kinder Morgan return gas pipeline going back to Tucson (4' gas main).

ADEQ's official report said that "they had no idea why the City called them out to investigate this".

Their position is that when combined, the bases and the acids were PH neutral (They were actually making custom soaps). But when seperated, were dangerous and causing damage to critical infrastructure.

Disappointing to say the least. They have also let some MAJOR environmental disasters occur on their watch, with their knowledge, including city sized illegal landfills happening along the I-40 corridor because they didn't have any enforcement staff to investigate, for years. I had to go up in a plane one day to get pictures of one of them because it was too big to photograph from the ground.

 

[Eric]

Yeah, my impression is that they're relatively "hands off." For ADEQ to assume that chemicals leaking into the ground will all just combine and become 100% inert does seem like fantastical thinking. Sounds like they just didn't want to deal with the problem.

Our district includes southern California and Arizona and the two are really a lesson in opposites in terms of environmental regulation (as you'd sort of expect). Not sure you're familiar with our Nationwide Permit Program but California pre-certifies only a handful of the NWPs (i.e., full state 401 review for most NWP verifications), whereas ADEQ pre-certifies all the NWPs and has basically no involvement on a project-by-project basis. Overall, I'm not sure which is the better system...California is very heavy/inefficient in terms of bureaucracy, but you can definitely expect involvement from them on environmental matters, like the chemical leak incident you described.

As far as 404 goes, there isn't much jurisdiction in Arizona anyway these days following the 2023 Sackett decision. For that reason especially, I can't imagine ADEQ will ever bother revisiting 404(g) assumption.