Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) needs fixing. That fact is acknowledged by everyone. The question (or rather disagreement) is in how to fix it. The DEP can’t seem to get its act together with respect to approving simple erosion permits. Turnaround from the time a permit is requested until it is supposed to be approved is, by DEP’s own statutory standards, 14 days. Last year it was taking over 250 days in some areas of the state (see More Pushback on PA Senate Plan to Fix Slow DEP Permit Reviews). Since that time the DEP has, according to DEP Secretary Pat McDonnell, improved on that number. Statewide erosion permit delays stand at just under 100 days. Still not acceptable. How to fix the DEP? The PA House of Representatives has a plan, covered in five proposed bills. The House will hold a hearing on their plan next week…
Read More “PA House Considers “Fix DEP” Bills at Hearing on March 13″

As we point out in a companion story today, the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) needs fixing, and the PA House has a plan to do it (see PA House Considers “Fix DEP” Bills at Hearing on March 13). Perhaps fearing at least some of the House initiatives may bear fruit, a few weeks ago DEP Secretary Pat McDonnell proffered his own plan to fix his agency–spend an extra $2.5 million to hire 33 new full-time employees to assist in the permit review process (see PA DEP Says $2.5M Will Fix Chronic Drilling Permit Delays). However, there’s a teeny tiny problem with that. According to the February quarterly meeting held between the DEP and oil and gas industry, all of those 33 (or 35, depending on the source) positions would be hired for the safe drinking water program, NOT for the oil and gas program. So McDonnell’s statements about the reason for the new positions and increase in budget are misleading at best…
Read More “PA DEP Extra $2.5M for 33 Hires Will NOT Go to O&G Program”

Last Thursday Pat McDonnell, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP), appeared before the PA Senate Appropriations Committee to discuss the DEP’s proposed budget–and to answer questions about the (unimpressive) performance of his department. Among the issues discussed: The 250% increase in oil and gas well permit fees; the proposed DRBC fracking moratorium; abandoned oil and gas wells; controlling methane emissions; and Sen. John Yudichak’s do-nothing plan to “study” enormously slow permit approvals for erosion and sedimentation–critical permits for shale drillers that are often delayed by months. Here’s some of the back and forth from last week when McDonnell sat on the hot seat…
Read More “PA DEP Secretary on Senate Hot Seat During Budget Hearing”