1. In any case where the department has not issued a permit or rendered a permit decision by the expiration of a statutorily required time frame for any application for a permit under this chapter or chapters 260, 278, 319, 444, 643, or 644, upon request of the permit applicant, the department shall issue the permit the first day following the expiration of the required time frame, provided all necessary information has been submitted for the application and the department has been in possession of all such information for the duration of the required time frame. This subsection shall be considered in addition to, and not in lieu thereof, any other provision of law regarding consequences of failure by the department to issue a permit or permit decision by the expiration of a required time frame.

2. If engineering plans, specifications, and designs prepared by a registered professional engineer are submitted to the department of natural resources as a part of a permit application or permit modification, the permit application or permit modification shall include a statement that the plans, specifications, and designs were prepared in accordance with the applicable requirements and shall be sealed by the registered professional engineer in accordance with section 327.411, as applicable. The department shall use the complete, sealed engineering plans, specifications, and designs as submitted in addition to permit applications and other relevant information, documents, and materials in developing comments on the engineering submittals and in determining whether to issue or deny permits. The review of documents, plans, specifications, and designs sealed by a registered professional engineer for an applicant shall be conducted by a registered professional engineer or an engineering intern on behalf of the department.

3. The department shall designate supervisory registered professional engineers for permitting purposes under this chapter and chapters 260, 278, 319, 444, 643, and 644. Any permit applicant receiving written comments on an engineering submittal may request a determination from the department’s supervisory registered professional engineer as to a final disposition of the department’s comments regarding engineering submittals in determining a decision on the permit. The department’s supervisory engineer shall inform the permit applicant of a preliminary decision within fifteen days after the permit applicant’s request for a determination and shall make a final determination within thirty days of such request.

4. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require plans or other submittals to the department pursuant to an application to come under a general permit or an application for a site-specific permit to be prepared by a registered professional engineer, unless otherwise required under state or federal law.