Press Releases
06/24/2020
DEEP Issues Third Quarterly Update on 20BY20 Initiative
New Permit Concierge Service Will Support Economic Recovery
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) recently released the third quarterly update for its 20BY20 initiative, a set of 20 goals that focus on improving the predictability, efficiency, and transparency of DEEP’s regulatory processes by the end of the year.
Despite the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, DEEP has continued to make progress in targeted areas. Many of its 20BY20 initiatives—such as digitizing some of DEEP’s most frequently-requested documents and making them accessible through our Document Online Search Portal–have better enabled DEEP and the regulated community to maintain productivity through COVID-19 interruptions.
Throughout this unprecedented time, DEEP has conducted outreach to a variety of stakeholders including business organizations and environmental advocates, and essential, responsive, permit assistance pre-application meetings have continued.
As noted in the 20BY20 Spring 2020 Quarterly Update, DEEP has made progress in the following areas:
- In March, at the start of the public health emergency, 80% percent of DEEP’s workforce was equipped within a week to work remotely and continued regular communication with stakeholders.
- 81% of permits were processed within the identified timeframes.
- 92% of transfer act filings received an audit/no audit decision within 90 days.
- DEEP introduced baseline data for the Natural Diversity Data Base (NDDB) program. Within the past year, out of 1,000 requests for environmental reviews to determine the impact of proposed projects on both federal and state listed species, 82% of the reviews were closed within a month.
Looking ahead, the 20BY20 initiative will help DEEP be a partner in economic recovery across the state. This spring, DEEP launched the Permit Concierge Service (20BY20 Goal #12), a central point of contact to guide applicants through the environmental permitting and review process for projects in a timely manner. The Concierge Team will facilitate communication between DEEP's stakeholders and DEEP permitting programs.
This service is intended for complex projects that may involve multiple permits and coordination with other state, federal, or municipal agencies, such as projects involving economic recovery during/after COVID-19 and those that support economic development. DEEP’s Concierge Team consists of Camille Fontanella, Team Lead, and Nicole Lugli, Office Director of Planning and Program Development. The Team can be contacted at DEEP.Concierge@ct.gov and information can be found at https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Permits-and-Licenses/Client-Concierge-Permit-Assistance.
“DEEP has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with the same spirit of innovation, urgency, and transparency that we have brought to the 20BY20 effort,” DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said. “Through 20BY20, we are moving services and resources online, streamlining regulations, and establishing a concierge service for environmental permitting—all critical steps to support remote work and economic recovery. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to our staff, who have rallied around these 20BY20 goals and are delivering strong progress, and I would also like to thank the dozens of stakeholders, from businesses and trade groups to environmental advocates, who have continued to engage with DEEP on these goals.”
The Spring 2020 20By20 Quarterly Update can be found here.
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Contact
DEEP Communications
DEEP.communications@ct.gov
860-424-3110