Environmental proceedings; findings of fact.

Environmental proceedings; findings of fact.Directs the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to give deferenceto findings of fact by a presiding officer explicitly based on theevidence presented in any formal proceeding. The bill directs DEQto include in its case decision the factual and legal basis for anydecision that rejects a recommendation from the hearing officer orpresiding officer. The bill requires a court hearing any decisionon review in which a hearing officer has made a recommendation toDEQ on a factual issue to defer to such recommendation. A violationon account of gross negligence is a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also directs a court, hearing anydecision on review for a formal proceeding initiated prior to July 1, 2020, in which DEQ rejected a recommendation from a hearing officeror presiding officer and for which a final adjudication has not beenrendered, to remand the proceeding to establish the findings of factby a presiding officer explicitly based on the evidence presentedat the hearing and to establish the factual and legal basis for thedecision prior to rendering such final adjudication.