7 Del. C. § 6608: Permit applications [For application of this section, see 85 Del. Laws, c. 351, § 4].

(a) Any person desiring to obtain a permit required by § 6604 of this title shall submit an application in such form and accompanied by such plans, specifications and other information as required by applicable regulations.

(b) Upon receipt of an application in proper form, the Secretary shall post on the Department’s website and advertise in a daily newspaper of statewide circulation and in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the activity is proposed, a notice containing all of the following:

(1) The fact that the application has been received.

(2) A brief description of the nature of the application.

(3) An electronic address where there are instructions for reading the application online. The Department may provide instructions for nonelectronic review of application attachments that are too voluminous to post online.

(c) The Secretary may hold a public hearing with respect to any application if it is deemed to be in the best public interest. The Secretary shall hold a public hearing if the Secretary receives a written meritorious public hearing request expressing opposition to the application within 20 days of advertisement. A public hearing request shall be deemed meritorious if it exhibits a familiarity with the application, a reasoned statement of the permit’s probable impact, and a demonstrated and substantial nexus between the requestor and this probable impact.