Shaping Groundwater Permits
Determining who’s in charge of permitting large groundwater withdrawals in New Hampshire may get a lot clearer with Senate Bill 411, sponsored by Sen. Jacalyn Cilley (D-Barrington). Senate Bill 411 maintains current law—that DES is the sole permitting entity—while also stressing that applicants still must comply with local zoning and site plan regulations.
In other words, says Rep. Judith Spang (D-Durham), chair of a special groundwater study commission, “The fact that they may have a permit does not guarantee them the ability to do the withdrawal if it doesn’t meet local ordinances.” The House Resources, Recreation and Development Committee takes up the bill with a public hearing on April 6.
A tug-of-war about who has final say has mired the groundwater permit process for several years, since the USA Springs bottled water controversy erupted in Nottingham.