To fulfill its mission, the department is authorized to issue sanitary and shoreland permits to assure conformance with code requirements. Sanitary permits control all private onsite wastewater treatment systems (POWTS) while shoreland permits control shoreland, flood plain, and/or wetland use. The department assists citizens with concerns and investigates complaints as necessary. The department also administers and issues permits for the non-metallic mining reclamation program to ensure compliance with State code.