Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 277a - Public Utility Environmental Standards Act
Section 16-50m. - Public hearing. Notice.

(a) The council shall promptly fix a commencement date and location for a public hearing on an application for a certificate complying with section 16-50l not less than thirty days after receipt of an application or more than one hundred fifty days after such receipt. At least one session of such hearing shall be held at a location selected by the council in the county in which the facility or any part thereof is to be located after six-thirty p.m. for the convenience of the general public. After holding at least one hearing session in the county in which the facility or any part thereof is to be located, the council may, in its discretion, hold additional hearing sessions at other locations. If the proposed facility is to be located in more than one county, the council shall fix the location for at least one public hearing session in whichever county it determines is most appropriate, provided the council may hold hearing sessions in more than one county.

(b) (1) The council shall hold a hearing on an application for an amendment of a certificate not less than thirty days nor more than sixty days after receipt of the application in the same manner as a hearing is held on an application for a certificate if, in the opinion of the council, the change to be authorized in the facility would result in any material increase in any environmental impact of such facility or would result in a substantial change in the location of all or a portion of the facility, other than as provided in the alternatives set forth in the original application for the certificate, provided the council may, in its discretion, return without prejudice an application for an amendment of a certificate to the applicant with a statement of the reasons for such return. (2) The council may hold a hearing on a resolution for amendment of a certificate not less than thirty days nor more than sixty days after adoption of the resolution in the same manner as provided in subsection (a) of this section. The council shall hold a hearing if a request for a hearing is received from the certificate holder or from a person entitled to be a party to the proceedings within twenty days after publication of notice of the resolution. Such hearing shall be held not less than thirty days nor more than sixty days after the receipt of such request in the same manner as provided in subsection (a) of this section. (3) The county in which the facility is deemed to be located for purposes of a hearing under this subsection shall be the county in which the portion of the facility proposed for modification is located.
(c) The council shall cause notices of the date and location of each hearing to be mailed, within one week of the fixing of the date and location, to the applicant and each person entitled under section 16-50l to receive a copy of the application or resolution. The general notice to the public shall be published in not less than ten point, boldface type.
(d) Hearings, including general hearings on issues which may be common to more than one application, may be held before a majority of the members of the council.
(e) During any hearing on an application or resolution held pursuant to this section, the council may take notice of any facts found at a general hearing.
(1971, P.A. 575, S. 7; P.A. 73-339, S. 1, 2; 73-458, S. 6; P.A. 75-375, S. 4, 12; 75-509, S. 2–4; P.A. 76-282, S. 2, 3; P.A. 79-537, S. 2; P.A. 90-254, S. 1; P.A. 03-140, S. 8; P.A. 04-257, S. 29; P.A. 14-94, S. 28.)
History: P.A. 73-339 added provision re hearing location when facility to be in more than one county in Subsec. (a); P.A. 73-458 added Subsec. (d) requiring majority of members for hearings and proceedings; P.A. 75-375 required that hearing commence not more than 150 rather than 180 days after receipt of application, clarified applicable hearings under Subsec. (d) and added Subsec. (e) re facts found at general hearing; P.A. 75-509 required one evening session of hearing in Subsec. (a) and required that published notice be in “not less than ten-point, boldface type”; P.A. 76-282 added proviso in Subsec. (b) re return of application for amendment; P.A. 79-537 clarified language by making minor changes and amended Subsec. (b) to require hearing on amendment application between 30 and 60 days after its receipt and to add provisions re hearings on resolutions; P.A. 90-254 made change to specify that the first hearing session be held in the county in which the facility is located; P.A. 03-140 amended Subsec. (a) to delete provision re fixing commencement date and location for a public hearing, to add Subdivs. (1) to (3) re fixing commencement date and location for a public hearing based on certain situations, and to add provision re consolidated public hearing process for applications that are common to a request-for-proposal, effective October 1, 2004; P.A. 04-257 made technical changes in Subsec. (a); P.A. 14-94 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting former Subdivs. (1) to (3) re receipt of proposals pursuant to the request for proposal process and deleting provision re applications common to a request for proposal, effective June 6, 2014.
Cited. 177 C. 623; 212 C. 157; 215 C. 474; 216 C. 1.
Cited. 37 CA 653; judgment reversed, see 238 C. 361.

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