MPCA says permit process meets state guidelines for quick processing

The vast majority of state environmental permits are issued within the state's 150-day goal, according to a report from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

The auditing of permit wait times stems from a 2011 law that aimed to give businesses more regulatory certainty.

Gov. Mark Dayton has said permitting decisions will now be made even faster under laws passed during this year's legislative session.

Instead of a 150-day goal, the MPCA now faces a 90-day goal for about 70 percent of business applications for air, land and water permits.

Business groups had pushed for faster permitting decisions, and environmental groups worked with lawmakers to ensure those faster decisions don't result in fewer protections for Minnesota's air, lakes and rivers.

The MPCA report notes that 99 percent of priority permits met the 150-day goal for the fiscal year that ended July 1. Agency officials say a lack of staff explains most of the permits that didn't meet the goal.