NC S684

Applicants for stormwater permits may choose to submit applications to the Department of Environmental Quality, local governments, or joint local government programs, with the Department required to approve or deny permits within 90 processing days or deem them automatically approved after 120 processing days.

Express review program permits must be issued or denied within specified timeframes: 45 days for stormwater permits, 45 days for stream origination certifications, 45 days for water quality certifications, 15 days for erosion and sedimentation control permits, and 60 days for Coastal Area Management Act permits.

Processing time pauses when the Department requests additional information from applicants and resumes when information is received; applicants have three business days to respond to electronic comments or one week for mailed comments without extending the timeline.

Permits are deemed approved if the Department fails to meet processing deadlines, and applicants receive a $1,000 refund of application fees if permits are issued or denied beyond authorized timeframes.

Appropriates $500,000 to develop an automated completeness review system for stormwater, erosion control, and CAMA permits, and $100,000 to North Carolina State University to study the feasibility of using artificial intelligence to generate stormwater permits.