There are three potential stages to TCEQ permit deliberations: (1) an application to draft-permit stage, (2) a hearing stage, and (3) a post-hearing/pre-final-order stage. For the overwhelming majority of permits, there is only stage (1) and a day or so for stage (3). However, if members of the public become involved and try to have input to the agency decisionmaking process, stage (2) can occur and stage (3) can extend for a longer time. Air pollution permits are subject to certain federal rules that do not apply to other environmental permits, and air pollution permits, therefore, are processed on a schedule that differs slightly from the schedule for processing other types of environmental permits. The links, below, connect to more lengthy descriptions of the factors that affect timelines for both types of permits and of the actual periods of time that are involved in the two decisionmaking processes.
Please see the following PDFs: