(a) The commissioner may issue a general permit for any minor activity regulated under sections 22a-401 to 22a-410, inclusive, except for any activity covered by an individual permit, if the commissioner determines that such activity would cause minimal environmental effects when conducted separately and would cause only minimal cumulative environmental effects. Such activities may include routine maintenance and routine repair of any dam, dike, reservoir or other similar structure or the removal of any dam to improve fish passage or to provide other ecological benefits. Any person conducting an activity for which a general permit has been issued shall not be required to obtain an individual permit under sections 22a-36 to 22a-45a, inclusive, or section 22a-342, 22a-368 or 22a-403, except as provided in subsection (c) of this section. A general permit shall clearly define the activity covered thereby and may include such conditions and requirements as the commissioner deems appropriate, including, but not limited to, management practices and verification and reporting requirements. The general permit may require any person conducting any activity under the general permit to report, on a form prescribed by the commissioner, such activity to the commissioner before it shall be covered by the general permit. The commissioner shall prepare, and shall annually amend, a list of holders of general permits under this section, which list shall be made available to the public.

(b) Notwithstanding any other procedures specified in sections 22a-401 to 22a-410, inclusive, any regulation adopted thereunder, and chapter 54, the commissioner may issue, revoke, suspend or modify a general permit in accordance with the following procedures: (1) The commissioner shall publish in a newspaper having a substantial circulation in the affected area or areas notice of intent to issue a general permit; (2) the commissioner shall allow a comment period of thirty days following publication of such notice during which interested persons may submit written comments to the commissioner and the commissioner shall hold a public hearing if, within said comment period, he receives a petition signed by at least twenty-five persons; (3) the commissioner may not issue the general permit until after the comment period; and (4) the commissioner shall publish notice of any issued permit in a newspaper having substantial circulation in the affected area or areas. Any person may request that the commissioner issue, modify or revoke a general permit in accordance with the provisions of this subsection.

(c) Subsequent to the issuance of a general permit, the commissioner may require any person to obtain an individual permit under the provisions of sections 22a-401 to 22a-410, inclusive, for all or any portion of the activities covered by the general permit, if in the commissioner's judgment the purposes and policies of said sections would be best served by requiring an application for an individual permit. The commissioner may require an individual permit under this subsection only if the affected person has been notified in writing that an individual permit is required. The notice shall include a brief statement of the reasons for the decision and a statement that upon the date of issuance of such notice the general permit as it applies to the individual activity will terminate.

(d) Any general permit issued under this section may require that any person intending to conduct an activity covered by such general permit give written notice of such intention to the inland wetlands agency, zoning commission, planning commission or combined planning and zoning commission, and conservation commission of any municipality which will or may be affected by such activity, and to the department which shall make such notices available to the public. The general permit shall specify the information which must be contained in the notice.

(e) The commissioner may adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to carry out the purposes of this section.

(P.A. 91-263, S. 6, 8; P.A. 92-162, S. 18, 25; P.A. 98-209, S. 14; P.A. 07-61, S. 3; P.A. 08-124, S. 25; P.A. 13-197, S. 6.)

History: P.A. 92-162 amended Subsec. (d) to provide that any person may submit comments to the commissioner concerning regulated activities permitted under this section prior to commencement of such activities and changed the deadline for such comments from 30 days prior to such commencement to 25 days; P.A. 98-209 amended Subsec. (a) to exempt general permittees from certain other permit requirements, and amended Subsecs. (a), (c) and (d) to make technical changes; P.A. 07-61 deleted provision in Subsec. (a) re construction if structure presents low or negligible safety hazards; P.A. 08-124 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective June 2, 2008; P.A. 13-197 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision re removal of dam to improve fish passage or provide other ecological benefits, made technical changes in Subsecs. (b) and (c) and amended Subsec. (d) to change “shall” to “may” re written notice required by general permit and to delete provision re 60-day period before initiating activity and provision re submittal of written comments to commissioner.