On Monday, the Business Council of Alabama filed comments on the permit fee increase rule proposed by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.
As reported in last week’s Capital Briefing, the General Fund Budget, SB 143 by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, passed the House, and a conference committee has been appointed to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. BCA supports a properly funded Alabama Department of Environmental Management, and the bills include increased appropriations compared to the budget recommended by the governor.
Unfortunately, the House-passed bill decreased the amount of funding from the General Fund to ADEM by $550,000, compared to the Senate-passed version. If additional funds are not included in the budget for ADEM, Director Lance LeFleur has stated he will seek a permit fee increase to fill any gaps.
A permit fee increase would negatively affect many of BCA’s members. As stated in BCA’s comments on the proposed 50 percent across-the-board permitting fee increase, this fee increase will likely present adverse impacts to some BCA members, particularly small businesses.
Click here to read the full comments submitted by the BCA.
-Nancy Hewston