Officials with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation did not prepare and submit permit efficiency reports for landowners the way they were supposed to, per a legislative directive. This, according to a Tennessee Comptroller’s Audit released this week. According to TDEC’s website, in 2012, members of the Tennessee General Assembly asked department officials to prepare two reports each year, in February and August, detailing the progress and efficiency of the environmental permit application process. Each report, the website went on to say, is composed of three topics, including land, air, and water permitting information, along with a summary. But members of TDEC’s management did not submit certain reports on time to the governor, members of the Tennessee General Assembly or to the public, as required, according to the audit. Since 2012, TDEC officials said they have had to produce more general reports that do not include detailed reasons for permit delays or individual processing times. Members of the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office say they studied those reports thoroughly. “Based on our review of the reports prepared during our audit period, the approximately 30-page reports consisted of mostly narrative information, along with a summary of numerical data,” auditors wrote. “The summary…
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