Background: In 2010, MMA participated in a detailed evaluation and restructuring of the Renewable Operating Permit program for the Air Quality Division of the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). With the cooperation of both the agency and industry partners, and by using an efficiency review mechanism like Value Stream Mapping, the agency will implement a substantially more efficient program in 2011. Similar efforts in the past have resulted in other air permits seeing a 66 percent reduction in time of issuance.

MMA Position: MMA will advocate for requiring every regulatory program, whether funded by the General Fund or fees, to implement an efficiency program to eliminate wasted effort and, ultimately, reduce the cost of operating in compliance with regulatory programs.