Individual permit decisions are made within two to three months from receipt of a complete application. In emergencies, decisions can be made in a matter of hours. An emergency is a situation which would result in an unacceptable hazard to life, a significant loss of property, or an immediate, unforeseen, and significant economic hardship if corrective action requiring a permit is not undertaken within a time period less than the normal time needed to process the application under standard procedures.
Applications requiring review of endangered species, completion of an Environmental Impact Statement or those experiencing other complications will have a longer processing time. Complicating factors may include an incomplete permit application, changes in the proposed project during the evaluation process, substantial public opposition, or court decisions which alter current case law.