The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality announced Monday that it had launched four new online applications for regulatory permits.
The department said the additions were part of a continuing effort to update and improve the permitting process.
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“Through AccessDEQ, we continue to modernize and streamline applications to provide more user-friendly experiences for residents and businesses and more efficient workflows for our DEQ staff,” said Secretary Mary Penny Kelley in the announcement.
Businesses and individuals can now submit applications through the AccessDEQ portal for the following:
- To apply for Coastal Area Management Act, or CAMA, general permits for routine projects like docks, piers, bulkheads, the placement of riprap and maintenance excavation of canals, channels, basins, and ditches.
- To apply for a brownfields property agreement to redevelop abandoned, idled or underused sites and address potential contamination issues.
- To submit or renew yard waste notifications for small-scale composting or processing of yard waste and clean wood.
- To apply for or renew air curtain incinerator general Title V air quality permits for burning wood waste, clean lumber and yard waste.
Online applications enhance efficiency in the permitting process while providing transparency, officials said. The online system allows applicants to track their status, submit payments and view notifications during the process. The documents generated are also connected to DEQ’s available online records.
Applications for CAMA major permits and erosion and sediment control plans were already available online through AccessDEQ. The department said that, with the addition of the four newest applications, it will be able to process more than 6,000 permits a year through the portal. Additional online permit applications are in development and are expected to launch in 2025, officials said.
