The Department of Environmental Quality shall expeditiously schedule and hold a formal public meeting if the Department receives written timely request for such meeting, pursuant to the provisions of Section 2-14-302 of this title, and determines there is a significant degree of public interest in the draft denial or draft permit.

1. 1. Notice of the meeting shall be posted on the Electronic Environmental Permit Application Docket on the Department’s website and provided to the applicant and those who subscribed to receive notifications at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting date.
2. 2. The public meeting shall be held at a location convenient to and near the proposed new site or existing facility not more than seventy-five (75) days after the date notice of the draft denial or draft permit was issued unless the applicant requests a longer period to prepare for the public meeting.
3. 3. At the meeting, any person may submit oral or written statements and data concerning the draft denial or draft permit. Reasonable limits may be set upon the time allowed for oral statements.
4. 4. The public comment period shall automatically be extended to the close of the public meeting. Upon good cause shown, the presiding officer may extend the comment period further to a date certain by so stating at the meeting.
5. 5. Such meeting shall not be a quasi-judicial proceeding.
6. 6. The applicant or a representative of the applicant shall be present at the meeting to respond to questions.

Laws 1994, SB 997, c. 373, § 10, eff. July 1, 1996; Amended by Laws 1995, SB 247, c. 285, § 18, emerg. eff. July 1, 1996; Amended by Laws 2026, SB 1246, c. 192, § 4, eff. November 1, 2026 (superseded document available).