The Environmental Quality Board published notice in the February 3 PA Bulletin of proposed Noncoal Mining Program permit fee increases for public comment.

The proposed noncoal mining fee increases would be phased in over six years both on permit reviews and an annual permit administration fee that DEP hopes will raise about $1.2 million to fully fund the program.  The total annual cost of the program is about $3 million.

Another change would index future annual increases to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics index.

The fee schedule, phasing in the increases and the indexing were recommendations made by DEP’s Aggregate Advisory Board.

The PA Aggregates and Concrete Association worked with DEP to develop the fee package, but they believe there are still outstanding issues.  The Association, however, does “understand the value of an efficient complement within the mining program to support industry’s needs to do business.”  Click Here for more.

Click Here for a copy of the proposal and how to comment through DEP’s eComment System.  Visit the Environmental Quality Board October 2017 meeting webpage for more background on the proposal.

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