Latest news with #permit
CBS News
21 hours ago
- Business
- CBS News
Maryland disputes EPA's claim of errors in wind energy project permit
In a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency, Amy Van Blarcom-Lackey, regional administrator for the Maryland Department of the Environment, insisted that there were no issues with a permit for a Maryland wind energy project. The response comes after the EPA last week said it found errors with the MDE's decision to issue a permit to U.S. Wind, the Maryland-based developer of an offshore wind project. In a letter to the MDE last week, the EPA said the project permit isn't valid because the MDE incorrectly stated that appeals to the permit should be filed under Maryland's state process instead of the federal process required by EPA regulations. But Blarcom-Lackey disputed the claim. "I would like to clarify that Maryland has been issuing permits under EPA-delegated or EPA-approved authority under the Clean Air Act for decades," Blarcom-Lackey wrote. "Long-settled procedure dictates that state-issued permits are appealed under State law, not Federal law. MDE adhered to both State and Federal law and precedent when issuing this permit and designating state law as the appropriate venue for permit appeals." She added that Maryland met the requirements needed to demonstrate that it has adequate authority under federal regulations to implement and enforce the permit program, including the proper procedures for handling appeals. In the EPA's letter last week, the department said the MDE must clarify that the permit was issued under federal code and remove incorrect appeal instructions from the permit itself and from its website. Blarcom-Lackey says MDE won't be modifying its permit decision to include the EPA's requested language. She also said that the information regarding the appeals process on the MDE's website was originally included at the EPA's request — but has now been removed as requested. The Maryland-based energy company U.S. Wind received its construction permit for the major offshore wind project in December. The construction plan includes building 114 wind turbines off the coast of Ocean City, which would generate up to 2 gigawatts ("GW") of offshore wind power and power more than 718,000 homes in the region. It would also include up to four offshore export cables that run from the lease area to the shore, a meteorological tower, and offshore export cable corridors. The goal of the project is to help supply the increased demand in the energy industry, according to U.S. Wind. The project is the 10th commercial offshore wind project nationwide. In addition to the turbines, U.S. Wind also plans to establish a new production facility, Sparrows Point Steel, at the former site of Bethlehem Steel in Baltimore County.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
'I spent months fighting £25 parking penalty'
A man has said he spent months fighting and eventually winning an appeal against a £25 charge after parking outside his home. Mark Toplass has a brain injury, which causes memory loss and he relies on reminders about everyday activities like bills and car payments. The 55-year-old received the penalty in February when his parking permit, which allows him to park for free outside his home in The Meadows in Nottingham, had expired. After numerous demands from Nottingham City Council for payment, Mr Toplass later discovered that the authority's policy states it will send a reminder to residents ahead of their permit expiring - which he said he did not receive. Mr Toplass, who has had two brain injuries - his first a haemorrhage aged 38 - said: "My memory is shocking so I have reminders set up for everything. I've had to adapt my life. "This should've been dealt with at the very first appeal. Instead, they kept telling me the fine would double if I didn't pay, which is when it got stressful. "I've had to spend hours upon hours on this, just to show that they're not following their own procedures." Mr Toplass said the council told him it only reminded residents to renew their permits as a matter of courtesy. After digging into the issue, the former Army veteran - who used to work in local government - discovered the part of the council's policy, which states that "reminders will be issued to permanent residents... via email" before a permit expires. The charge was then cancelled in May after his second appeal. Since then, Mr Toplass has filed an official complaint and a freedom of information (FOI) request in a bid to find out how many other residents have been affected. He said: "My grievance now is how many other people in Nottingham are in the same boat? "In this day and age, we're all tight on money and don't want to be paying for something that isn't our fault." Mr Toplass has now cancelled his parking permit as he "doesn't want to go through the rigmarole", and will instead park on his own driveway, which he previously left empty so local children could play football on it. The city council said its policy was to send reminder letters to residents with virtual parking permits, but added the responsibility for renewal remained with the permit holder. A council spokesperson said they were sorry to hear about the difficulties Mr Toplass had experienced. The council has not told the BBC why the charge was cancelled. The spokesperson added: "We understand that situations like this can be challenging, particularly for residents with additional needs, and we aim to take a fair and proportionate approach to enforcement. "Anyone who receives a penalty notice can appeal, and all appeals are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, taking individual circumstances into account." Follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. More on this story Parking ticket anger amid on-street permit delays City centre on-street parking charges to rise Related internet links Nottingham City Council
BBC News
4 days ago
- BBC News
'I spent months fighting £25 parking penalty'
A man has said he spent months fighting and eventually winning an appeal against a £25 charge after parking outside his home. Mark Toplass has a brain injury, which causes memory loss and he relies on reminders about everyday activities like bills and car 55-year-old received the penalty in February when his parking permit, which allows him to park for free outside his home in The Meadows in Nottingham, had numerous demands from Nottingham City Council for payment, Mr Toplass later discovered that the authority's policy states it will send a reminder to residents ahead of their permit expiring - which he said he did not receive. Mr Toplass, who has had two brain injuries - his first a haemorrhage aged 38 - said: "My memory is shocking so I have reminders set up for everything. I've had to adapt my life."This should've been dealt with at the very first appeal. Instead, they kept telling me the fine would double if I didn't pay, which is when it got stressful."I've had to spend hours upon hours on this, just to show that they're not following their own procedures."Mr Toplass said the council told him it only reminded residents to renew their permits as a matter of digging into the issue, the former Army veteran - who used to work in local government - discovered the part of the council's policy, which states that "reminders will be issued to permanent residents... via email" before a permit charge was then cancelled in May after his second appeal. Since then, Mr Toplass has filed an official complaint and a freedom of information (FOI) request in a bid to find out how many other residents have been said: "My grievance now is how many other people in Nottingham are in the same boat?"In this day and age, we're all tight on money and don't want to be paying for something that isn't our fault."Mr Toplass has now cancelled his parking permit as he "doesn't want to go through the rigmarole", and will instead park on his own driveway, which he previously left empty so local children could play football on city council said its policy was to send reminder letters to residents with virtual parking permits, but added the responsibility for renewal remained with the permit holder.A council spokesperson said they were sorry to hear about the difficulties Mr Toplass had council has not told the BBC why the charge was spokesperson added: "We understand that situations like this can be challenging, particularly for residents with additional needs, and we aim to take a fair and proportionate approach to enforcement. "Anyone who receives a penalty notice can appeal, and all appeals are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, taking individual circumstances into account."
CTV News
5 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
‘The process is broken:' Toronto councillor pitches fix for patio permit holdups
City Councillor Brad Bradford is calling for easier patio permit applications as a bistro owner says she waited for six to seven months to get her permit. A Toronto city councillor is calling for changes to a 'broken' permitting process after an east-end restaurant missed months of this summer's patio season while its application was on hold at City Hall. Tiarrés Brunch & Bistro in the Beaches was finally granted permission to operate its 80-seat sidewalk café last week—after its April application was automatically refused by the city because two neighbours filed undisclosed objections. 'What would have seemed like a pretty straightforward rubber-stamping kind of exercise resulted in delay and refusal,' Beaches East-York Coun. Brad Bradford said Thursday at a campaign-style press conference in front of the restaurant. 'It's not enough to just say we support businesses… when our policies keep actively putting up roadblocks.' Tiarrés owner Anotha Thamesh operated her sidewalk cafe at 1980 Queen St. E. all last summer in a location that has been home to outdoor seating for 45 years. But, her permit renewal process was snagged when just two of 47 neighbours who received mailout notices from the city indicated their opposition. 'To object to having a permit re-issued is just mind-boggling,' the chair of the local business improvement area (BIA), Russell Ward, told CTV News Toronto. Bradford is proposing raising the threshold of automatic permit refusal to objections from 25 per cent of surveyed neighbours, so that as few as two complaints cannot force the applicant to appeal. Under that model, contentious applications could still be reviewed, but straight renewals and non-problematic patios wouldn't get held up in bureaucratic delays, he said. 'This is actually about cutting red tape to make it easier for small business and entrepreneurs who are trying to realize a dream in this city,' Bradford said. 'We need to be working with them, not against them.' 'It's a much more fair process to set the amount of objections at a percentage of those notified, rather than just a flat 'two,'' Milena Stanoeva, senior director at Restaurants Canada, told CTV News Toronto. 'It would give the business owners a bit more clarity, and a bit more certainty, that when they're putting these applications in, they're being given a fair shake.' Bradford intends to submit his proposal as a member motion at next week's council meeting, requiring the support of his colleagues to pass. It has been widely speculated that Bradford will challenge Olivia Chow in next year's mayoral election, though he has not confirmed that. 'There is a desire for change,' Bradford said Thursday, when asked whether his announcement was another indication that he would run for mayor. 'There is a desire for fresh generational leadership that is not afraid to stand up and focus on the things that matter most to everyday people.' A spokesperson for Chow said her office would be reviewing the details of Bradford's patio proposal, but that she supports cutting red tape. 'Mayor Chow is always open to continuous improvement and supporting our local restaurants and small businesses,' said Shirven Rezvany. Bradford's proposal would apply specifically to sidewalk seating and not the curb-lane patios that are run through the CafeTO program. Streamlining the application process could significantly improve the bottom lines of local restaurants who get caught up in the appeal queue, said Lori Van Soelen, manager of The Beach BIA. 'When you think of patio season, you are missing out on the significant months to make that revenue,' she said. 'It's a huge hit for these businesses.' Thamesh agrees the months-long delay in receiving her patio permit cost her both time and money. Her patio generates as much as 60 per cent of her annual restaurant revenue, she said. 'I'm expecting more from the City to be able to help the businesses like myself succeed.' 'This is definitely a step forward.'
CTV News
6 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
This bistro owner lost half of the summer season to fighting for a patio permit
Toronto Watch City Councillor Brad Bradford is calling for easier patio permit applications as a bistro owner says she waited for six to seven months to get her permit.
