Gov. Mark Dayton signed legislation Thursday that would streamline Minnesota's environmental permitting process, a move that was criticized by environmental groups but was seen as a victory for the state's business community. Environmental advocates spent the day calling for Dayton to veto the legislation that they said "rolls back" the state's environmental protections. But Dayton, in announcing he was signing the legislation, said: "We agree that too many possible business expansions have been delayed unnecessarily in recent years." The DFL governor sped up the environmental permitting process through an executive order six weeks ago. Republicans argued that the change Dayton signed Thursday will further speed up the regulatory process by permitting corporations to draft the environmental impact statements — lengthy and often contentious documents that analyze the potential environmental effect of proposed mines, mills and other massive industrial projects. "I am pleased Governor Dayton and his administration joined us in our efforts to improve the business climate and create jobs while protecting the environment and human health," said Rep. Dan Fabian, R-Roseau, the legislation's chief House author. Steve Morse, executive director of the Minnesota Environmental Partnership, was disappointed. "This was a reasonable idea gone bad. Our concerns remain: The Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board should not be exempted from environmental review, citizens should have the right to air concerns in their district courts and businesses should not be the first to draft the assessment of their own environmental impacts," he said. State agencies, which currently draft the impact statements, would still review, modify and change them before they are published for public comment. A state report Tuesday concluded the current system is peppered with delays. "It's a great thing," Michael Belaen, a spokesman for the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, said in reacting to Dayton's decision to back the legislation. "In Minnesota, environmental permitting has been a burden for a lot of businesses trying to expand. "We're going to be able to create jobs," he added.