(a) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may revoke the authority of a municipality to regulate forest practices pursuant to section 23-65k upon notice from a municipality that it intends to abandon such authority or upon determination after a hearing that such municipality has failed to perform its duties under said section 23-65k. Prior to the hearing on revocation, the commissioner shall send a notice to the inland wetlands agency, by certified mail, return receipt requested, asking such agency to show cause, not later than thirty days after receipt of such notice, why such authority should not be revoked. A copy of the show cause notice shall be sent to the chief executive officer of the municipality that authorized the agency. The commissioner shall send a notice to the inland wetlands agency, by certified mail, return receipt requested, stating the reasons for the revocation and any provisions necessary for reinstatement, in accordance with subsection (c) of this section. Any municipality aggrieved by a decision of the commissioner under this section to revoke its authority under this section may appeal therefrom in accordance with the provisions of section 4-183. The commissioner shall have jurisdiction over the forest practices in any municipality whose authority to regulate such forest practices has been revoked. Any fees that would have been paid to such municipality if such authority had been retained shall be paid to the state.

(b) If the commissioner revokes the authority of a municipality to regulate forest practices, the municipality may apply to the commissioner for reinstatement of such authority after a period of one year from revocation. The commissioner may grant reinstatement if the municipality demonstrates that it is capable for fulfilling its duties under section 23-65k.

(c) The commissioner shall cause to be published notice of the revocation or reinstatement of the authority of a municipality to regulate forest practices in a newspaper of general circulation in the area of such municipality.

(d) The commissioner may issue an order or request to the Attorney General to bring an action in the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford to enforce any order, registration, ordinance or regulation adopted under this chapter if the municipality fails to do so on a timely basis.

(P.A. 88-230, S. 1, 12; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-142, S. 4, 7, 8; P.A. 95-220, S. 4–6; P.A. 98-228, S. 5; P.A. 11-80, S. 1.)

History: (Revisor's note: P.A. 88-230, 90-98, 93-142 and 95-220 authorized substitution of “judicial district of Hartford” for “judicial district of Hartford-New Britain” in public and special acts of the 1998 regular and special sessions of the General Assembly, effective September 1, 1998); pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Commissioner of Environmental Protection” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection” in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 2011.