HB 5154 — AN ACT CONCERNING CERTAIN REVISIONS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION'S PERMITTING AUTHORITY.

House of Representatives General Assembly RaisedFile Bill No.

5154408 February Session, 2026 LCOSubstitute House Bill No.

10505154 ReferredHouse toof Representatives, April 7, 2026 The Committee on ENVIRONMENTEnvironment Introducedreported by:through REP.

(ENV)PARKER ANof ACTthe CONCERNING101st CERTAINDist., REVISIONSChairperson TOof THEthe DEPARTMENTCommittee OFon ENERGYthe ANDpart ENVIRONMENTALof PROTECTION'Sthe PERMITTINGHouse, AUTHORITY.that the substitute bill ought to pass.

AN ACT CONCERNING CERTAIN REVISIONS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION'S PERMITTING AUTHORITY.

(NEW) (Effective July 1, 2026) Except as prohibited in subdivision (1) of subsection (i) of section 22a-208a of the general statutes, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may, notwithstanding any provision of title 22a of the general statutes, issue a general permit for any activity that the commissioner may authorize by issuance of an individual permit.permit provided the commissioner determines that such activity both separately and cumulatively causes minimal environmental effects.

Such determinationshallbe specifiedinthepublic notice for anysuchgeneral permit noticed pursuant to this section.

(j)sHB5154 When/ aFile permittee makes a sufficient application for the renewal of anindividual permit to operate asolidwaste facility, inaccordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, the permit shall be deemed renewed if, not less than ninety days after determining the application is sufficient, the commissioner does not sign a notice of LCO No.

1050408 1 ofsHB5154 3File RaisedNo. Bill No.5154 tentative determination to approve or deny the application.

408 (j) When a permittee makes a sufficient application for the renewal of anindividual permit to operate asolidwaste facility,inaccordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, the permit shall be deemed renewed if, not less than ninety days after conducting a technical review and determining the application is sufficient, the commissioner does not sign a notice of tentative determination to approve or deny the application.

[(j)](k)TheCommissionerofEnergyandEnvironmentalProtectionmayNothing issuein anthis approvalsubsection forshall abe demonstrationconstrued projectto forlimit anythe activitycommissioner's regulatedauthority byto thereview commissionerall underaspects thisof chapter provided the commissionerpermittee's determinesexisting thatoperations suchand demonstrationthe projectapplication (1) is necessary to research,renew, developincluding, orbut promotenot methodslimited andto, technologiesexercising ofany solidauthority wastedescribed managementin whichsection are22a-6m. consistent with the goals of the state-wide solid waste management plan;

[(j)] (k) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may issue an approval for a demonstration project for any activity regulated by the commissioner under this chapter provided the commissioner determines that such demonstration project (1) is necessary to research, develop or promote methods and technologies of solidwastemanagementwhichareconsistent withthegoalsofthe state- wide solid waste management plan;

and (3) is not inconsistent with the federalfederalWater WaterPollutionControlAct,thefederalRiversandHarborsAct, Pollution Control Act, the federal Rivers and Harbors Act, the federal Clean Air Act or the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

NotwithstandingsHB5154 the/ renewalFile process,No. any person may seek, or the commissioner may require, that the project obtain a general or individual permit pursuant to this chapter.

408 2 sHB5154 File No.

408 Notwithstanding the renewal process, any person may seek, or the commissioner may require, that the project obtain a general or individual permit pursuant to this chapter.

Section 1 July 1, 2026 New section LCOSec. No.

1050 2 ofJuly 31, Raised2026 Bill22a-208a(j) No.ENV Joint Favorable Subst.

5154sHB5154 Sec./ File No.

2408 July3 1,sHB5154 2026File 22a-208a(j)No. Statement of Purpose:

To408 authorizeThe following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the issuancebenefit of generalthe permitsmembers inof lieuthe General Assembly, solely for purposes of individualinformation, permitssummarization and toexplanation provideand fordo not represent the renewalintent of certainthe solidGeneral wasteAssembly facilityor permits.either chamber thereof for any purpose.

thatIn whengeneral, thefiscal entireimpacts textare ofbased aupon bill or resolution or a sectionvariety of ainformational billsources, orincluding resolutionthe isanalyst’s new,professional itknowledge. is not underlined.] LCO No.

1050Whenever 3applicable, agency data is consulted as part of 3the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note State Impact:

None Municipal Impact:

None Explanation The bill authorizes the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to 1) issue a general permit for any activity which may receive a general permit and 2) provide automatic renewal of an individual permit to operate a solid waste facility under certain circumstances, these changes are procedural in nature and do not result in a fiscal impact to DEEP.

The Out Years State Impact:

None Municipal Impact:

None sHB5154 / File No.

408 4 sHB5154 File No.

408 OLR Bill Analysis sHB 5154 AN ACT CONCERNING CERTAIN REVISIONS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION'S PERMITTING AUTHORITY.

SUMMARY This bill expands the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s (DEEP) authority to issue general permits.

To issue a general permit instead of an individual permit under the bill, DEEP must (1) determine that the activity both separately and cumulatively causes minimal environmental effects, and (2) specify the determination in the general permit’s public notice.

The general permitting does not apply to (1) solid waste activity already covered by an individual permit, (2) resources recovery facilities, (3) biomedical waste facilities, (4) solid waste disposal areas, or (5) municipal solid waste composting facilities.

By law, these permits issued for solid waste activities must be consistent with the requirements of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

The bill also automatically renews sufficient applications for individual permits to operate solid waste facilities if, after conducting a technical review and determining that the application is sufficient, the commissioner does not sign a notice of tentative determination to approve or deny the application within 90 days.

Applications to renew an individual solid waste permit must be on a form set by the commissioner and include the applicable fee.

The fees for renewing a permit to operate a solid waste facility are (1) $750 for resource recovery facilities, (2) $350 for transfer stations, (3) $175 for source-separated organic material composting facilities, (4) $350 for any other volume reduction plant, and (5) $350 for biomedical waste treatment facilities (Conn.

Agencies Regs.

§ 22a-208a-1).