The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is seeking input on the preliminary recommendations made by the Coastal Zone Conversion Permit Act Regulatory Advisory Committee.

Legislation passed in 2017 requires DNREC to write new regulations for “conversion permits,” a state permit that allows for new heavy industrial development on 14 sites in Delaware’s Coastal Zone. In June 2018, DNREC put together a Regulatory Advisory Committee to provide recommendations on the content of these new regulations. The Committee presented its preliminary recommendations at three open houses for public feedback before finalizing its recommendations to DNREC.

The three open houses in February 2019 were designed to let attendees learn more about the Coastal Zone Act regulation development process and to provide feedback on the Committee’s preliminary recommendations. Use the resources on this page to explore the issues.

Collecting Public Input

Each open house included a video presentation and informational booths about the Coastal Zone Act regulation development process and the Committee’s preliminary recommendations. The video covers the legislative changes and the work of the Regulatory Advisory Committee. Each informational booth covered one topic area and the Committee’s preliminary recommendations on that topic.

Members of the Regulatory Advisory Committee and DNREC staff were present at the open houses. Attendees were able to provide input on feedback forms available at the open houses or via an online form.

A non-profit facilitator, the Consensus Building Institute – which has facilitated the Regulatory Advisory Committee’s monthly meetings – was engaged to compile all public input into a public report for the Committee to consider before it finalizing its recommendations to DNREC.

Comments submitted by the end of the day on March 1, 2019, were to be included in the report.

Related Topics:  coastal zone act, conversion permits, cza, ocean and coasts, permitting and regulation, RAC