The Small Business/Small Community Assistance Program (SB/SCAP) of the Environmental Assistance Division located within the Office of Environmental Services has been designated as the Department's initial point of contact for companies requiring assistance in understanding the intricacies of the Department's permitting process. Most of the initial contacts to the SB/SCAP for assistance come from the staffs of the Department of Economic Development, Chambers of Commerce, Governor's Office of Permits, and others in the business of economic development in Louisiana as well as from the companies themselves. Once a request for assistance is received, a Pre-Permit meeting is scheduled.

At this meeting, arrangements are made to assure the needed experts from DEQ are present as well as company representatives and economic development staff. This Pre-Permit meeting is set in an informal atmosphere. The company officials are asked to present as much detailed information as possible regarding their proposed site and anticipated emission and discharges for the planned facility. DEQ staff discusses the permitting procedures and point out any potential problems that may occur during the permitting process. The company officials are provided names and contact information that can be used to get answer to specific questions that may be needed during the permitting process. A general time frame and fee schedule for obtaining permits is provided and copies of the permit forms are given to the company. This meeting provides a general introduction to the Department's permitting procedures and expedites the actual permitting process. A member of the legal staff is present to discuss any overall legal requirements and to answer questions of a legal nature.

A manual that outlines the permitting requirements at the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality is available to potential permit applicants and is available at the Pre-Permit Meeting. Pre-Permit Meetings are highly recommended for any permit application for companies that are not familiar with the Louisiana's permitting process or for processes that are new to Louisiana.

If you would like to schedule a Pre-Permit Meeting, please contact the SB/SCAP at (225) 219-3263.