(a) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may issue a general permit for any minor activity regulated under sections 22a-36 to 22a-45, inclusive, except for any activity covered by an individual permit, when such activity is conducted by any department, agency or instrumentality of the state, other than a regional or local board of education, if the commissioner determines that such activity would cause minimal environmental effects when conducted separately and would cause only minimal cumulative environmental effects. Such activities may include routine minor maintenance and routine minor repair of existing structures; replacement of existing culverts; installation of water monitoring equipment, including but not limited to staff gauges, water recording and water quality testing devices; survey activities, including excavation of test pits and core sampling; maintenance of existing roadway sight lines; removal of sedimentation and unauthorized solid waste by hand or suction equipment; placement of erosion and sedimentation controls; extension of existing culverts and stormwater outfall pipes; and safety improvements with minimal environmental impacts within existing rights-of-way of existing roadways. Any state department, agency or instrumentality of the state, other than a regional or local board of education conducting an activity for which a general permit has been issued shall not be required to obtain an individual permit under any other provision of said sections 22a-36 to 22a-45, inclusive, except as provided in subsection (c) of this section. A general permit shall clearly define the activity covered thereby and may include such conditions and requirements as the commissioner deems appropriate, including but not limited to, management practices and verification and reporting requirements. The general permit may require any state department, agency or instrumentality of the state, other than a regional or local board of education, conducting any activity under the general permit to report, on a form prescribed by the commissioner, such activity to the commissioner before it shall be covered by the general permit. The commissioner shall prepare, and shall annually amend, a list of holders of general permits under this section, which list shall be made available to the public.

(b) Notwithstanding any other procedures in said sections 22a-36 to 22a-45, inclusive, any regulations adopted thereunder, and chapter 54, the commissioner may issue, revoke, suspend or modify a general permit in accordance with the following procedures: (1) The commissioner shall publish in a newspaper having a substantial circulation in the affected area or areas notice of intent to issue a general permit; (2) the commissioner shall allow a comment period of thirty days following publication of such notice during which interested persons may submit written comments concerning the permit to the commissioner and the commissioner shall hold a public hearing if, within said comment period, he receives a petition signed by at least twenty-five persons; (3) the commissioner may not issue the general permit until after the comment period; and (4) the commissioner shall publish notice of any permit issued in a newspaper having substantial circulation in the affected area or areas. Any person may request that the commissioner issue, modify or revoke a general permit in accordance with this subsection.

(c) Subsequent to the issuance of a general permit, the commissioner may require any state department, agency or instrumentality, other than a regional or local board of education, to apply for an individual permit under the provisions of said sections 22a-36 to 22a-45, inclusive, for all or any portion of the activities covered by the general permit, if in the commissioner’s judgment the purposes and policies of such sections would be best served by requiring an application for an individual permit. The commissioner may require an individual permit under this subsection only if the affected state department, agency or instrumentality has been notified in writing that an individual permit is required. The notice shall include a brief statement of the reasons for the decision and a statement that upon the date of issuance of such notice the general permit as it applies to the individual activity will terminate.

(d) Any general permit issued under this section shall require that any state agency, department or instrumentality other than a regional or local board of education, intending to conduct an activity covered by such general permit give written notice of such intention to the inland wetlands agency, zoning commission, planning commission or combined planning and zoning commission and conservation commission of any municipality which will or may be affected by such activity and to the department which shall make such notices available to the public. The general permit shall specify the information which shall be contained in the notice.

(e) The commissioner may adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to carry out the purposes of this section.