Navigating Bureaucracy and permitting Processes
Trying to get involved and make a difference is hard. The system can feel broken, confusing, unfair, and rigged. You may be shuffled from one person to another agency to a separate department, and still not get your questions answered or feel like anybody heard you.
AND it’s the way that we can make change to help bring your community’s vision to action. We believe that knowing how to navigate this complexity can help you harness your limited and precious time, energy, and capacity to know where to push, where to comment, how we can shift the system, and where to get information you need to help your community stay healthy and happy.
layers of BUREAUCRACY
In general, the federal, state, and local governments all take a role in approving new facilities:
LAYERS OF BUREAUCRACY
Use an onion to learn how the different layers of government hold different decision-making power over the things you care about.
Recording from Thinking Like a Lawyer: Navigating Bureaucracy (January 2026).
Curious how an idea becomes a local law? Join Rose in this quick video as she advocates for her ideas to learn how municipal laws are passed.
APPROVALS AND PERMITTING
There are many ‘stamps of approval’ a facility will need to take before it can begin operations. This includes getting multiple approvals and permits, which could come from local, county, state, and federal agencies.
The exact permits and approvals required will be different for each facility, and depends on their size, location, proposed operations, and levels of pollution.
Most approvals and permits require a public comment period, or give you the chance to request a public meeting or public comment period.
This is your time to make sure that decision-makers takes your ideas, concerns, and solutions into consideration before making final decisions.
Check out Commenting and Public Meetings for tips and more info!
Learn about the different state permits that many facilities need, and how to read and understand state permits. Thinking Like a Lawyer: State Permitting (February, 2026)
Federal Requirements:
Site-Specific Anticipated Permits and Approvals:
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Here are some flags that may alert you if deliberations are not happening in public. If you think that agencies are not complying with the Sunshine Act, this could be sign that it may be time to to talk with an attorney.
Very quick meetings
Decisions for big projects seemingly coming out of nowhere
Lots of executive sessions taken during public meetings
Lack of responses to right to know requests
Lack of discussion at public meetings before decisions are made/voted on (indicates improper discussions were occurring not in public meetings)
Vague meeting agendas released with little time for public review.
Lunches or dinners that public officials attend together before meetings. Public business often gets hashed out during those unofficial gatherings, but that is very hard to prove.
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This activity may be easier for someone or a team who has these strengths:
Executing + Doing
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Ohio:
What You Should Know About Ohio’s “Sunshine Laws”: https://www.ohiobar.org/public-resources/commonly-asked-law-questions-results/courts-and-lawyers/what-you-should-know-about-ohios-sunshine-laws/
Ohio Sunshine Laws Frequently Asked Questions: https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/faq/sunshine-laws-faqs
Pennsylvania:
Guide to the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act: https://panewsmedia.org/legal-and-legislative/guide-to-the-pennsylvania-sunshine-act/
A Citizen’s Guide to The Pennsylvania Sunshine Act: https://blogs.law.widener.edu/envirolawcenter/files/2010/03/PA_Citizens_Guide_re_Sunshine_Act.pdf
West Virginia:
The Open Governmental Meetings Act: https://ethics.wv.gov/openmeetings/Pages/default.aspx#questions
Open Meetings Act: https://wvpress.org/legal/open-meetings-act/
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