Environmental Protection Permit Bond - Stamford, CT in Connecticut

Brief Summary

In Stamford the bond comes after the vote, not before it. Once the Environmental Protection Board approves your wetlands permit and sets a bond, the permit is held until that bond is posted. Having a surety ready means a same week bond instead of a stalled project.

The City of Stamford Environmental Protection Board (EPB) regulates work in and near wetlands, watercourses and special flood hazard areas. Under Section 13 of the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Regulations of the City of Stamford, the Board may require a permittee to file a performance bond, in an amount and form it approves, conditioned on compliance with the Regulations and the permit conditions. Section 11.8 lets the Board withhold the permit until the bond is provided.

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How to Apply for a Environmental Protection Permit Bond:

• Confirm whether the work falls in a wetland, watercourse, upland review area or special flood hazard area.
• File the EPB application with the base fee and any supplemental or hearing fees.
• Read the approval conditions for the bond amount and form the Board requires.
• Owner name, address and Social Security number for the surety credit review.
• Complete the bond application and review the quoted premium.
• Pay the premium and deliver the executed bond to the EPB so the permit can be released.

Detailed Information About the Connecticut Environmental Protection Permit Bond:

The amount is set at approval

There is no fixed bond amount in the Stamford regulations. Section 13.1 says the applicant, upon approval of the permit and at the discretion of the Board, may be required to file a performance bond with surety in an amount and form approved by the Board. Many applicants budget nothing for a bond and learn about it in the approval conditions. Under Section 11.8 the Board can withhold the permit until the bond or insurance is provided, so the bond becomes the last step before work can start.

Who needs an EPB permit

The EPB permit covers regulated activities: removing or depositing material in a wetland or watercourse, and any obstruction, construction, alteration or pollution of one. Clearing, grading, filling, excavating and storm water discharge are also regulated inside the upland review areas. Those areas extend 50 feet from wetlands and watercourses outside a public water supply watershed, 75 feet from wetlands inside one, and 100 feet from watercourses inside one.

What the bond guarantees

Under Section 13.2 the bond is conditioned on compliance with all provisions of the Regulations and the conditions of the permit. If the permittee fails to install required erosion controls, plantings or restoration, the City can claim against the bond. The surety pays valid claims and the permittee repays the surety. The application also authorizes Board inspections for as long as the bond is in effect.

Fees and permit term

The EPB instructions list a base application fee of $260.00, made up of a $200.00 EPB fee and a $60.00 State Land Use Fee, with supplemental fees for new construction and subdivisions, an additional $1,000.00 when a public hearing is held, and an annual compliance fee for active permits that the Board may waive. Applications filed because of a violation pay twice the fee. Permits tied to a planning or zoning approval run with that approval up to ten years. Other permits run three years and can be extended in one year steps, but not beyond ten years from issuance.

Cost of the bond

Premium is set by the surety based on the bond amount the Board sets and the applicant's credit and financial history.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Connecticut Environmental Protection Permit Bond:

• City of Stamford Environmental Protection Board named as obligee.
• Bond amount and form as approved by the Board under Section 13.1.
• Bond conditioned on compliance with the Regulations and permit conditions under Section 13.2.
• Surety company authorized to write bonds in Connecticut.
• Owner credit review, which shapes the premium.

Connecticut Environmental Protection Permit Bond FAQs:

Official and Additional Resources for the Connecticut Environmental Protection Permit Bond: