Louisiana Revised Statutes Tit. 49, § 978. Judicial review; rule to show cause for permit applicants

A. If the secretary does not grant or deny a permit, license, registration, variance, or compliance schedule for which the applicant had applied within the time period as provided for in R.S. 30:26 and 2022(C), R.S. 49:214.30(C)(2), and R.S. 56:6(26), the applicant has the authority, on motion in a court of competent jurisdiction, to take a rule on the secretary to show cause in not less than two nor more than thirty days, exclusive of holidays, why the applicant should not be granted the permit, license, registration, variance, or compliance schedule for which the applicant had applied. The rule may be tried out of term and in chambers.

B. In any trial or hearing on the rule, the applicant shall be entitled to a presumption that the facts as stated in the affidavit of the applicant, which shall be attached to the rule are true. The rule of the applicant shall be denied by the court only if the secretary provides clear and convincing evidence of an unavoidable cause for the delay. However, in denying the rule, the court shall decree that the secretary shall grant or deny the application within a time set by the court, or the application shall be granted without further action of the secretary or the court.

C. If the rule is made absolute, the order rendered thereon shall be considered a judgment in favor of the applicant granting the applicant the permit, license, registration, variance, or compliance schedule for which the applicant had applied.

D. The provisions of Subsections A, B, and C of this Section shall not apply to permit applications submitted under the Louisiana Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (LPDES) program under the Department of Environmental Quality.