Auditor General Eugene DePasquale Monday said he is pleased to see the Department of Environmental Protection is implementing audit recommendations that should help protect water quality during Marcellus Shale drilling operations.

“Our audit found that DEP was unprepared and understaffed to effectively administer laws and regulations to protect drinking water when the Marcellus Shale natural gas boom began,” DePasquale said.

“We provided 29 recommendations for improvement, and the fact that DEP is working to revise standards for oil and gas well sites is proof that our audit work is helping to better protect water quality near well sites.

“As I said last year when the audit report was released, shale gas development can offer benefits to our commonwealth and our nation, but the benefits cannot come at the expense of the public’s trust, health, and well-being,” DePasquale said. “I am glad to see Acting DEP Secretary John Quigley is taking our recommendations seriously to improve the protection of water quality.”

Last month DEP released a revised rulemaking proposal setting environmental protection performance standards at oil and gas well sites. Improving protection of water resources is the first of five core areas on which the amendments focus.

A copy of the Auditor General’s audit is available online.

4/13/2015