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115875 1 (1981-07-22)

handle is hein.gao/gaobadyuh0001 and id is 1 raw text is: UNITED STATES GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE i l ili WASHINGTON, D.C. 20548 115875 FOR RELEASE ON DELIVERY EXPECTED WEDNESDAY MORNING JULY 22, 1981 STATEMENT OF HUGH J. WESSINGER, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, SENIOR LEVEL COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIVISION BEFORE THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES r ON LfGENCY PROCEDURES FOR PROCESSING DREDGING PERMITS7 MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE: WE ARE PLEASED TO BE HERE TODAY TO DISCUSS OUR JUNE 1980 REPORT ENTITLED MANAGERIAL CHANGES NEEDED TO SPEED UP PROCESSING PERMITS FOR DREDGING PROJECTS (CED-80-71) AND TO PROVIDE OUR COM- MENTS ON RELEVANT PORTIONS OF YOUR PROPOSED LEGISLATION CITED AS THE PORT DEVELOPMENT AND NAVIGATION IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1981 (THE JUNE 29, 1981, COMMITTEE PRINT). IN OUR REVIEW, WHICH WAS MADE AT YOUR COMMITTEE'S REQUEST, WE IDENTIFIED COMMON DELAYS AND PROBLEMS IN THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS' DREDGING PERMIT PROGRAM AND RECOMMENDED WAYS TO IMPROVE THE PROCESS. OF 402 DREDGING PERMIT APPLICATIONS REVIEWED AT THREE CORPS DISTRICTS--BALTIMORE, NEW ORLEANS, AND PHILADELPHIA--LESS THAN 54 PERCENT WERE PROCESSED WITHIN THE CORPS' GOAL OF 105 DAYS OR ABOUT 3-1/2 MONTHS. THE AVERAGE PROCESSING TIME AT THE THREE CORPS DISTRICTS WE REVIEWED RANGED FROM 4 TO 10 MONTHS. NO ONE FACTOR ACCOUNTED FOR THE PROBLEM. INSTEAD, A SERIES OF PROBLEMS DURING EACH STEP OF THE PERMIT PROCESS CAUSED DELAYS. I ,,, i . ........... ..... il ~~~~~~ ~~~~ .......... ' ' ....... .. ....