It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 42-17.7 of the General Laws entitled "Administrative Adjudication for Environmental Matters" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

42-17.7-9. Uniform appeal period established. -- Regardless of any other provision of the general laws to the contrary, all requests for an adjudicatory hearing within the department of environmental management must be in writing and must be filed with the clerk of the administrative adjudication division for environmental matters within twenty (20) calendar days of receipt of the contested agency action for all enforcement actions. All license and permit appeals must be filed with the clerk of the administrative adjudication division for environmental matters within thirty (30) calendar days of receipt of the contested agency action. Every such notice of contested agency action shall provide notice of the aforesaid twenty (20) day or thirty (30) day appeal period and of the procedures for filing an appeal. The time and manner of filing established herein are mandatory and jurisdictional.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2001.