The legislature finds that an essential component of streamlined permit decision making is the ability of the department to demonstrate the capacity to meet environmental responsibilities. Therefore, the legislature directs that:

(1) Qualified environmental staff within the department must supervise the development of all environmental documentation in accordance with the department's project delivery tools;

(2) The department must conduct special prebid meetings for projects that are environmentally complex. In addition, the department must review environmental requirements related to these projects during the preconstruction meeting held with the contractor who is awarded the bid;

(3) Environmental staff at the department, or consultant staff hired directly by the department, must conduct field inspections to ensure that project activities comply with permit conditions and environmental commitments. These inspectors:

(a) Must notify the department's project engineer when compliance with permit conditions or environmental regulations are not being met; and

(b) Must immediately notify the regulatory agencies with jurisdiction over the nonconforming work; and

(4) When a project is not complying with a permit or environmental regulation, the project engineer must immediately order the contractor to stop all nonconforming work and implement measures necessary to bring the project into compliance with permits and regulations.

[2015 3rd sp.s. c 17 § 4.]

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