12-5-472.1. Procurement of permits, licenses, and permissions; designation of principal state agency.

The division shall be authorized to assume by intergovernmental contract the responsibility for procuring all permits, licenses, and permissions from the United States of America or any agency or instrumentality thereof; the State of Georgia, its departments, agencies, or authorities; or any county or municipality of this state as necessary or required for the purpose of constructing any projects within this state on behalf of local governments seeking to construct such projects. Such contract may provide for the reimbursement of the division for costs and expenses associated with the procurement of such permits, licenses, and permissions, but such reimbursement shall not be a prerequisite to the assumption by the division of such procurement responsibility, and the division is specifically authorized to delay, mitigate, or waive reimbursement when, in the judgment of the director and the authority, the welfare and best interests of the people of this state are served thereby. The terms of such contract shall provide for the assumption by such local government of such permits, licenses, and permissions at such time as appropriate for the construction of such projects.#

In discharging its duties and responsibilities pursuant to the terms of this article, and specifically in identifying appropriate sites for projects and procuring permits, licenses, and permissions for projects, whether owned by the division or otherwise, the division shall utilize to the maximum extent practicable the procurement of services from the department and private sector persons and entities qualified to perform such work. It is the intent of General Assembly that the division minimize the hiring of officers and employees for the purposes of this article.#

The division shall be designated as the principal state agency to cooperate with the Environmental Protection Division of the department, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and all other federal agencies or instrumentalities in the planning and execution of projects in this state.#