Most large projects, whether it’s a greenfield site development or a facility/process modification, require a detailed review of the environmental due diligence and permitting requirements applicable to the project.
Defining the extent of the environmental review and the required environmental permitting, including timelines, is a vital early project-planning step. When project teams complete engineering and begin procurement and other phases before defining the environmental reviews and permits needed, unanticipated delays are bound to occur.
Issues surrounding historic property use, wetlands, threatened and endangered species, water appropriations, and land use restrictions are just a few environmental topics that can directly affect the viability of greenfield site projects. For facility modifications, failure to identify permitting needs during the early project engineering stages can delay projects by weeks, months, or even longer. It’s critical to plan ahead and anticipate these issues, so they can be addressed during the initial engineering stages of project development.
Does your environmental permitting and review process align with the proposed project timeline? In this blog, we discuss environmental due diligence and the role of an environmental permitting matrix, and how it helps keep project timelines moving forward.
Proactively Determine Environmental Permitting, Approvals, and Reviews
Each state has varied regulatory requirements and environmental review triggers. These permitting and environmental review requirements could be threshold-based or based on general duty clauses from the commissioner. In some cases, project stakeholders initiate self-triggered environmental reviews; the goal is to proactively assess the project’s impact in anticipation of public critique or to fulfill internal requirements.
Additional requirements are in place at the federal level for the prevention of air, water, and land pollution. Projects partially or fully funded with federal loans or grants from the DOE (Department of Energy), DOT (Department of Transportation), USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), or any other federal agency will also trigger a NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) review.
An environmental permitting matrix helps proactively identify the potential and actual permits and environmental review required at the local, state, and federal levels. This lays the groundwork for a project’s path, ensuring that all environmental regulatory obligations are considered and clearly organized for all stakeholders.
Build and Maintain a Comprehensive Project Schedule
Integrating each environmental permit and due diligence obligation into the project planning timeframe ensures all parties are aligned on the deliverables and anticipated timelines.
A comprehensive environmental permitting matrix should include the Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) and additional assessments required for the environmental review, along with the corresponding steps involved in each process. The matrix should also include any applicable air quality permits, water and wastewater permits, conditional use permits, and supporting regulatory documentation.
Building these items into the project planning timeline helps engineers and the project team understand the guidelines for each deliverable, along with any variables that could potentially affect project schedules. It also accounts for the time needed to compile the information, as well as the anticipated time required for state and federal agents to receive, review, and respond to the submissions.
The environmental due diligence and permitting matrix ensures all documentation is accounted for during the planning, engineering, construction, and operational phases. This is critical not only for managing action items but also to ensure you have well-organized documentation in the event of a regulatory inquiry.
Manage Communication with Project Teams & Regulatory Agencies
Projects generally involve environmental permitting from multiple agencies. Navigating federal permitting and environmental review in addition to state and local requirements can prove challenging. In some cases, projects might be further complicated by pushback from the local community or the general public. For these reasons, it’s critical to engage with regulatory representatives and establish relationships with key community decision-makers during the project planning and early engineering phases.
Sharing the environmental permitting matrix with regulatory agency representatives before submitting permitting applications shows stakeholders that the project team has identified and laid out actions to address their environmental obligations.
By opening dialogue with environmental regulators upfront, you provide them the opportunity to learn about the project, understand the timeline, and discuss questions or preliminary concerns with your environmental engineering consultant before receiving environmental permitting or addressing environmental review matters. The goal is to build a partnership based on trust, which will benefit not only your project stakeholders but the community.
Your Key to a Successful Project
The complexities of environmental permitting and due diligence can be minimized with proper planning and documentation. Again, being proactive is the first step. Engaging an environmental engineering consultant during project planning and early engineering to fully define your project’s environmental obligations is a critical step toward project success.
Pinnacle Engineering specializes in environmental permitting, assessments and matrix development. We partner with your project team and regulatory agencies to proactively identify challenges and oversee environmental compliance. Request a consultation with our team to get started.