WASHINGTON (AP) — Maryland’s two U.S. senators are asking the Army Corps of Engineers to streamline the oyster aquaculture permitting process. 

Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin said Tuesday that they had written a letter in support of a general permit for Maryland waters which would be used instead of individual permits. The senators say general permits are used when similar conditions need to be met and the risk of environmental harm is relatively low. 

The senators said in their letter that they believe oyster aquaculture can benefit the bay and its tidal waters in a variety of ways and asked to the corps to develop a “one-stop shop” system that would allow oyster farmers to go to the state to obtain all necessary permits. 

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