Environmental Permitting
Obtaining environmental permits in Mississippi is made easier by the fact that most permits are issued by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and can be obtained from the office located in Jackson. Although not actually defined as one-stop permitting, the permitting process is not complicated. Senior agency management is accessible for thorough, open communication and decision-making.
Permits issued by the DEQ are approved by the Environmental Quality Permit Board, which is composed of a technical member of the staff of the Office of Geology, the Office of Land and Water Resources, the Department of Agriculture and Commerce, the State Oil and Gas Board, the Department of Health, and two from the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. The Permit board meets bimonthly.
The DEQ is the delegated authority to issue almost all federal environmental permits. Furthermore, Mississippi's environmental regulations are, in most cases, identical to federal regulations.
Mississippi has exceptionally clean air and abundant water resources; these environmental conditions make almost every area of the state ideal for Greenfield industrial sites. The state meets all of the national ambient air quality standards for protection of public health and welfare. Mississippi is one of the few states for which this is true. There are no non-attainment areas in the state.
Mississippi is a water-rich state, having more than 84,000 miles of streams. Twenty-four thousand miles are perennial streams or flow year-round. The state is bordered by some of the most important water bodies in the world - the Mississippi River, the Tennessee/Tombigbee Waterway and the Gulf of Mexico. The state is covered with hundreds of publicly owned lakes, reservoirs and ponds with a combined area of approximately 500,000 acres. Freshwater wetlands cover an area of more than four million acres, and tidal wetlands cover approximately 66,000 acres.
Water quality in the state has not declined in recent years. Waters in the state either fully or partially support their designated uses.
In addition to permits obtained from the Department of Environmental Quality, other agencies issuing environmental permits are the Mississippi Oil and Gas Board, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. These agencies have a close working relationship.
Permit Process
Depending on the type (specific) of manufacturing process, state permits and controls will vary. Additional information regarding the nature of this company's manufacturing process will be required to further answer this question.
The typical permitting process is as follows:
- Company submits application to Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Pollution Control (OPC).
- Office of Pollution Control reviews application and sends letter of completeness or deficiencies.
Time: Minimum of 21 days, Maximum of 45 days
- State drafts permit from approved application. — Time: 14 days - 42 days
- Public Notice (if necessary) — Time: 30 days
- Permit issued through State Permit Board. — Time: 2 weeks
Total Permit Process Time: 2 - 6 months
At the appropriate time, the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) will schedule a meeting with the Project site team, your client, and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). At that meeting, DEQ will provide a more precise time frame for permitting once they have learned more about your client’s processes. A project like this is important to the economy of Mississippi. Therefore, MDA and DEQ will expedite the permitting process to the maximum extent possible.
For more information:
Global Business Division
Telephone: 601.359.3155
Fax: 601.359.4339
natdev@mississippi.org