On Wednesday the Department of Environmental Protection issued a concept paper to the agency’s Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board on proposed changes to Pennsylvania’s Chapter 78 Oil and Gas Regulations required by the Marcellus Shale drilling law adopted in February as Act 13.

The bulleted list of proposed changes cover application requirements, well location restrictions, proposed protection of water supplies, predrilling or prealteration survey requirements, erosion and sedimentation controls, wastewater control and disposal planning, standards for pit and tank containment and much more.

DEP said proposed language to implement these changes should be available online on or about September 14.

DEP has scheduled two additional Oil and Gas Board meetings to review these proposals on September 17 and October 15.  The proposals will also be shared with DEP’s Small Business Compliance Assistance Advisory Committee on October 24.

DEP anticipates finalizing proposed language at the November 15 Oil and Gas Board meeting and then send it to the Environmental Quality Board on December 12 for their consideration.

8/20/2012