On October 28, the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) joined Governor Mikie Sherrill for an announcement highlighting significant progress in her administration's efforts to reduce permitting delays and make the state approval process more efficient for businesses and developers.

Since January, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has reduced its backlog of Freshwater Wetlands Letters of Interpretation by 74 percent, bringing the number of applications pending for more than six months from 927 to 240. Meanwhile, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) has reduced its Minor Access Permit backlog by 83 percent, resolving 523 stalled permits that allow businesses and developers to construct or modify access points along state highways.

The administration also reported progress on two other types of permits:

Remedial Action Permits: NJDEP has reduced its backlog by 25 percent. These permits are particularly important for the redevelopment of contaminated or former industrial properties, commonly referred to as brownfields.

Major Access Permits: NJDOT has reduced its backlog by 19 percent, helping advance larger commercial, residential and infrastructure projects requiring access to state highways.

To build on this progress, both agencies have implemented changes to improve the review process. NJDEP has established specialized teams to address complex permits, hired 49 additional staff members and launched Operation FAST, an initiative focused on streamlining approvals for clean energy projects, including more than 25 solar and battery storage projects. NJDOT has consolidated its permitting functions into a new Division of Transportation Permitting and fully digitized its Major Access Permit process. The administration has also established a cross-agency working group to better coordinate permitting reviews for energy projects.

The Governor also announced the public launch of the New Jersey Permitting Dashboard, available at Permits.NJ.gov. The dashboard currently tracks 10 pilot projects undergoing review by NJDEP, NJDOT and the Department of Community Affairs (DCA), providing information on required permits, responsible agencies and the status of each stage of the approval process. The administration plans to expand the dashboard to include additional projects in the coming months.

Looking ahead, NJDEP will continue addressing its Water Quality Management permitting backlog, while NJDOT will focus on further reducing delays for Major Access Permits. State agencies are also developing specific review timelines consistent with the Governor's Executive Order No. 5, which are expected to be incorporated into the dashboard.

Permitting reform has long been a priority for New Jersey's business community. When businesses face lengthy approval processes with little certainty about when a decision will be made, it becomes more difficult and costly to move projects forward. This is especially important in South Jersey, where continued investment and development are essential to the region's economic growth.

The CCSNJ welcomes the progress made by the Sherrill administration and looks forward to seeing these efforts continue.

To read the full press release, click here.

Please reach out to Hilary Chebra, Director, Government Affairs at hchebra@chambersnj.com if you have any questions.