A program instituted by the state Department of Environmental Protection, in which licensed consultants from the private sector are hired to help speed-up the permit process for companies seeking to clean contaminated properties, can be replicated by other agencies,said DEP Commissioner Bob Martin.

"We are talking about using outside experts to (help applicants) move through the process and get certifications," said Martin, during an address to business leaders Sept. 21 at a breakfast in East Windsor hosted jointly by the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and the New Jersey Business & Industry Association.

This program "should be considered for expansion to other agencies," he added. "If an agency is committed to it, it can get done."

The Licensed Site Remediation Program has helped the DEP issue permits more rapidly to companies looking to clean contaminated properties and convert them into productive use, Martin said. The state has roughly 14,000 contaminated sites today, down from 20,000 in 2010 when Gov. Chris Christie and Martin first took office, Martin said.

Another reason for the more efficient permitting process is the DEP's Waiver Rule, a rule promoted by the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and adopted under Martin's tenure, Martin said.

Under the waiver rule, the DEP can exempt permit applicants from the state's many regulations in the following cases: public emergency; when a regulation creates undue hardship or conflicts with other state or federal rules; or if the project generates a net environmental benefit.

"There is red tape out there that doesn't make sense anymore," Martin said. "The approval process is too long and we will keep attacking it. We can issue permits online and issue more general permits without (undermining) the environmental standards. Making it easier to get a permit doesn't mean we are giving away permits."

A special thank you to Langan Engineering and Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti LLP for sponsoring the breakfast event.