Department staffs up for NPDES primacy; permitting should be quicker, says Kent

The State of Alaska's Department of Environmental Conservation is confident that it will effectively assume primacy over National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permitting, the Alaska Minerals Commission heard at its meeting in Fairbanks Sept. 28. Senate Bill 110, signed into law by Gov. Frank Murkowski in August, calls for the state's application for primacy to be filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by June 30, 2006.

The permitting process should be quicker once DEC takes over, according to Lynn Kent, director of the department's Division of Water, who spoke to the minerals commission. "We're here and we're familiar with the facilities," she told Mining News. With primacy, Alaska's water quality standards will be interpreted and applied by DEC staff rather than EPA. In addition, DEC is designing web-based information management systems that will automate the permit application and development processes and facilitate electronic transfer of Discharge Monitoring Report compliance data.

In order to pursue primacy the Alaska Legislature has already approved the creation of 14 new positions in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau, which would bring the total number of people working in permitting and compliance to 43. The funding has been provided for seven of the new positions this year and the remaining seven from next year.

"This state is growing up, and it's time that Alaskans assume responsibility for their own environment, and I'm very confident that DEC will be able to do that," Greg Beischer, a member of the minerals commission, told Mining News. Beischer, who works for Bristol Environmental & Engineering Services, was elected chairman of the Anchorage branch of the Alaska Miners Association in October. He added that the minerals commission is also concerned about the Department of Natural Resources having difficulty with staffing levels.

"Good people are hard to find now," Beischer said. "There is strong competition among Alaska mines for the available personnel, and even mines in the Lower 48 are recruiting in Alaska. If even a quarter of the potential mining and oil and gas projects proceed, the state will not be in a position to provide the needed personnel. As for DNR, compensation packages of the state will need to be competitive with those of industry to attract capable people."

The application period for several vacant DNR positions will be timed to coincide with the Alaska Miners Association convention in November, including geologist positions and an assistant to Ed Fogels, the large mine projects permitting manager.