The state Department of Environmental Protection announced it is launching a new online system for land-use permit applications.
The DEP said the new system will improve efficiency and transparency, while reducing costs for businesses and residents — advancing Gov. Phil Murphy’s commitment to modernize government services. The administration is working across the board to digitize and streamline permitting, the DEP noted, as laid out in Murphy’s economic plan in October and Executive Order No. 63.
“This system will hold applicants to the same rigorous environmental requirements we have always expected, while helping us do our job more effectively,” DEP Deputy Commissioner Debbie Mans said in a prepared statement. “It will also reduce costs for businesses and residents while greatly enhancing transparency by providing all information uploaded into the system to the public through the DEP’s online database system.”
The E-Submissions system went online Wednesday, and its first iteration will be incorporated into the DEP’s existing permitting portal. Future updates and improvements are planned, the DEP said.
The agency hopes the new system will reduce printing and storage costs, address application issues, leverage electronic payment capabilities and more.
“This system is designed to be easy to use and is similar in design and setup to popular online tax-preparation programs, and will help significantly reduce mistakes and common errors that can cause problems,” Assistant Commissioner for Land Use Ginger Kopkash said in a statement.
Applicants will still be able to submit applications via mail through 2020, when use of the online system will become mandatory, the DEP said.
For more information on the new system, click here.
