ANAHEIM : AQMD Speeds Up Its Permit Process

The agency that polices the Southland’s air polluters said Monday that the Walt Disney Co.’s planned Disneyland expansion will be the first major project to have its applications for air quality licenses reviewed under a new, streamlined process.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District says Disney will still have to follow all air pollution regulations. But rather than taking months for the company to receive its AQMD permits for its planned, $3-billion Westcot resort, most will be issued within 30 days after the company submits its applications and some within minutes, AQMD spokesman Bill Kelly said.

The company has begun informal talks with the AQMD about the project. It will be at least six months before the first applications are filed, according to Kerry Hunnewell, vice president for Disney Development Co.

Future applications from all other businesses will be handled similarly under the new system, Kelly said.

For the Disney project and others, Kelly said, the new system calls for issuing permits for common pieces of equipment such as diesel generators quickly and with a minimum amount of paper work and study.

Also, each project’s licensing process will be overseen by an AQMD official who will be able to answer a company’s questions and tell it when the various permits will be released, Kelly said. Previously, Disney, for example, would have had to call the supervisors of all the AQMD divisions handling specific permit applications.

The new supervisor will also schedule a review of the company’s applications so it will know in advance when it can expect to receive its permits, if they are approved.

“I think having to deal separately with several different divisions has been the biggest complaint applicants have had about the AQMD over the years,” Kelly said. “This will allow the applicant to deal with one person who will be able to give them information quickly and tell them when they will get their permits.”

Hunnewell declined to discuss its past relationship with the AQMD or any problems that Disney officials believe they have had with the agency. It would not be “fruitful,” he said. “But we are pleased to see the district is expediting its process without compromising its standards. We believe a sound economy and a healthy environment are compatible and not mutually exclusive.”