§ 3-0306 — Registry of public agencies and private organizations; notice of department hearings

§ 3-0306. Registry of public agencies and private organizations; notice\n of department hearings.\n 1. The commissioner shall develop and maintain a registry of\ngovernment agencies and officials and of private organizations of\nstatewide, regional, county and local scope, with interests in the\nregulatory and other programs of the department for the purpose of\nproviding written notice to such agencies and organizations of the time,\ndate, place, subject and nature of hearings on rules and regulations\nunder consideration by the department, or on applications to the\ndepartment for permits relating to the use, improvement, construction,\nchange or any modification whatsoever of the air, land, or water\nresources within the state, or in relation to any other business before\nthe department for which issuance of a public notice is required or is\nappropriate and desirable in accord with the interests of public\nparticipation in environmental planning and decision-making.\n 2. To aid in the compilation of the registry, the commissioner shall\nadvertise its purposes no less than annually to governmental agencies\nand the public through news releases and other media available to the\ndepartment, stating that interested agencies and organizations may apply\nto be listed in the registry by completing forms requiring such\ninformation as may be prescribed by the commissioner. Said registry\nshall be prepared by the department to be as comprehensive as possible\nand the entries contained therein shall not be limited to those obtained\nin response to advertisement by the department of the purposes of the\nregistry.\n 3. The commissioner shall publish and distribute or cause to be\npublished and distributed said registry, not less frequently than\nannually and in whole or in part as deemed appropriate and desirable by\nthe commissioner, for the purpose of providing a directory to assist\nwith communications between public agencies and private organizations in\nall manner of environmental affairs.\n 4. Notices, as described herein, shall, at the discretion of the\ncommissioner, be published not less frequently than once every two weeks\nin a departmental publication which shall be mailed to registered\nagencies and organizations in the area to be affected by the subject of\nsaid notices and to other persons subscribing to such publication;\nprovided that the commissioner may require the payment of a subscription\nfee not to exceed the reasonable costs of such publication; and provided\nfurther that the commissioner may in lieu of publishing any such notice\nmail a copy thereof to registered agencies or organizations. In setting\nsuch fee the commissioner shall take into account the purposes of this\nsection to provide broad public notice of department actions. Unless\notherwise provided by statute or regulation, failure to provide notice\nas herein described shall in no way affect the ordinary proceedings of\nthe department.\n