March 24, 2020
By:
Walter G. Wright
Category:
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law
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Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment – Division of Environmental Quality (“DEQ”) Director Becky Keogh has issued an Emergency Order (“EO”) styled:
Outbreak of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) of 2020
See LIS: 20-137.
Director Keogh states in the EO that DEQ has determined that emergency conditions exist as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19. Further, impacts on the licensing programs administered by DEQ’s regulatory programs are noted, which include:
- Office of Water Quality
- Office of Air Quality
- Office of Land Resources
The licensing programs are noted to require licensees to:
- Obtain professional development hours
- Pay required licensing fees
The cancellation of various training opportunities are referenced.
As a result, Director Keogh has extended the time to renew respective licenses. Further, she orders that the following actions be taken:
- Licensees shall submit their respective license renewal applications and the required license renewal fees within the time required by the respective DEQ-administered license program requirements.
- For DEQ-administered licensing programs with licenses that expire on or before July 1, 2020, DEQ shall provide an additional six (6) months for Licensees to obtain the necessary professional development hours required to renew their respective licenses. Licensees shall submit documentation of completed professional development hours within ten (10) days of completion.
- Licenses that fail to submit the proper renewal application, license renewal fee, and documentation of completed professional development hours within the time period set forth in Paragraphs 1 and 2 above, will not be renewed.
The EO is in effect for one year from March 20, 2020.
A copy of the EO can be found here.
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