By Jessica Shirley, Acting DEP Secretary

This guest essay first appeared on PennLive.com November 21, 2024--

Business moves fast in the 21st century. As Acting Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), I know that our permits can make or break a project or a business seeking to operate in Pennsylvania.

Likewise, the people of Pennsylvania rely on DEP to protect public health and safety by enforcing our environmental laws and regulations.

Balancing these important roles of protecting the public while enabling businesses to expand and thrive is our constant mission, and while DEP has faced challenges at times – often due to a lack of resources and staff – I’m proud to report that the Shapiro Administration is making real progress at improving our permitting processes.

DEP, alongside the Governor’s Office of Transformation and Opportunity, is making enormous strides in reviewing more than 45,000 permits every single year, all while maintaining the levels of environmental and public health protection that Pennsylvanians expect and deserve.  [Read more here]

Under the leadership of Gov. Josh Shapiro, we are looking at ways to improve our processes.

We’ve heard from applicants who want to know more about the review of their application, and what to expect.

And we’ve also heard from residents who want to know more about proposed development located near where they live, work, and go to school.

On the business side, we have successfully implemented the PAyback program, Gov. Shapiro’s online money-back guarantee system.

Through PAyback, application fees are returned to applicants upon request if agencies don’t process applications within set review timeframes.

I’m proud to report that to date, DEP has met its timing obligations for every permit it has issued.  [Read more here]

DEP is also working to reduce the permit application backlog and modernize our permitting processes.

Since hiring additional staff members and cataloging and reviewing DEP’s nearly 800 available types of permits, DEP has reduced the backlog by nearly 1,750 permits – that’s a 73 percent reduction – as of November 15, 2024.   [Read more here]

These changes don’t happen overnight. For our agency to meet the needs of residents and businesses in a 21st century world, we need 21st century tools.

One of those tools is the new Streamlining Permits for Economic Expansion and Development (SPEED) Program, part of the 2024-25 budget signed into law by Gov. Shapiro in July.

SPEED continues the permit process modernization by opening up new options for permit applicants and providing flexibility for DEP staff by allowing outside qualified professionals to conduct initial reviews of applications.

Applicants can opt for a SPEED review by DEP-approved professionals to expedite a decision on a permit application, while DEP retains final decision-making authority to ensure that permits meet environmental standards.

We’re also working more collaboratively with the regulated industries in order to help them understand these regulations and prepare successful applications.

For example, we have convened quarterly meetings with agriculture stakeholders to get their feedback on permitting processes and are conducting User Experience research with key stakeholders to better improve the applicant’s experience and reduce bottlenecks in review.

We are not just hearing from the businesses and industries that need the permits though; we are also listening to the people of Pennsylvania so that they know their voices are heard.

We understand that far too often, DEP has only reached out to communities when they were facing an environmental crisis or dealing with a newly permitted facility.

Under the leadership of the Shapiro Administration, we are working to reach out proactively, meeting with communities and providing them with the necessary tools to advocate for themselves more effectively, and benefit from available resources.

Every Pennsylvania resident deserves, and has a constitutional right to, a clean, healthy environment.

Under the Shapiro Administration, DEP has stepped up enforcement to ensure that polluters aren’t just cutting checks as a cost of doing business when they foul our water or pollute our air.

This Administration is making sure that communities aren’t just made whole, but that they’re made better than they were before.

DEP will continue to get stuff done for Pennsylvanians.

That means getting permits done for businesses while ensuring that development meets or exceeds environmental safeguards.

It also means keeping residents and communities engaged, ensuring that regulatory red tape isn’t getting in the way of economic development.

We are committed to going further, faster, so Pennsylvanians can expect permits and protection, and receive both promptly.

For the department’s 2,800 environmental professionals, DEP will Deliver on Every Promise when it comes to permits and protection.

Jessica Shirley is Acting Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection.

(Photo: Signing of Executive Order this week establishing the PA Permit Fast Track Program.)

Related Articles - New Permit Program:

-- Gov. Shapiro Signs Executive Order Creating PA Permit Fast Track Program; Can't Blame DEP Anymore For Delaying Projects  [PaEN]

-- DEP Reduces Permit Backlog By 75%, Completely Eliminates Backlog For Oil & Gas Permits; You Can’t Blame DEP Anymore For Project Delays  [PaEN]

-- DCNR Speeds Up Endangered, Threatened Species Environmental Permit Review Times, ATV Permitting, Ginseng Certification  [PaEN] 

Resource Links:

-- DEP Now Accepting Qualified Professional Bids As Part Of SPEED Permit Review Program  [PaEN]

-- DEP Launches Pilot Program In 10 Counties To Speed Up Processing Chapter 102 Erosion & Sedimentation Permits Starting May 1  [PaEN]

-- Governor’s Office Releases List Of DEP, Other Agency Permits Included In PAyback Permit Fee Refund Program And Review Deadlines  [PaEN]

-- Senate Republicans Pass Bill Authorizing An Authority To Take Over Permitting Large-Scale Energy Projects; Eliminating Public Comment; Waiving Any Regulation; Providing Immunity From Prosecution; Barbers Reviewing Permits?  [PaEN]

-- PA House Republicans Introduce Bill Creating An Energy Advocate With Power To Veto Any Action By Any State Agency That Harms Energy Reliability, Affordability.  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- PA Capital-Star: Shapiro Signs Executive Order Aimed At Streamlining Permitting Process For Infrastructure Projects

-- WNEP: Gov. Shapiro Highlights PA Permit Fast Track Program In Luzerne County

-- NFIB: Small Businesses Applaud Gov. Shapiro’s PA Permit Fast Track Program

-- PA Independent Oil & Gas Assn.: Shapiro Signs Executive Order Aimed At Streamlining Permit Process For Infrastructure Projects

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Shapiro’s New Permitting System Gives A Green Light To Economic Development

-- PA Sen. Joe Pittman: Senate Republicans Spearheading PA Permitting Reforms

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Nov. 16 to 22 - $5.257 Million In Penalties; Conventional Well Owners Issued More Violations Than All Of 2023; More Abandoned Wells; Failure To Submit Shale Gas Reports  [PaEN]

-- EPA, Justice Dept., DEP Announce $5.275 Million In Penalties, Plus $1.4 Million In Abandoned Well Plugging Funding Against Shale Gas Drilling Companies-- XTO Energy, Inc., Hilcorp Energy Company For Federal, State Clean Air Act Violations  [PaEN]

-- DEP So Far In 2024:  6,907 Violations Issued To Owners Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wells - 153% More Than In 2021;  833 Violations For Abandoning Their Wells -- Exceeding All Of 2023  [PaEN] 

-- Oil & Gas Wastewater Release At Bear Lake Properties Injection Well In Warren County Went Unreported For 109 Days; More Contamination Discovered Along Related Wastewater Pipeline Route  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - November 23 [PaEN]

-- DEP Prints Corrected Notice Inviting Comments On New Air Pollution Permit For Revolution Natural Gas Cryogenic Processing Plant In Washington County; Plant Suffered Major Explosion, Fire In 2022  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 60 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In November 23 PA Bulletin  [PaEN] 

Related Articles This Week:

-- DEP Oil & Gas Advisory Board Meets Dec. 5 On Methane Emissions Reduction; Federal Plugging Program; Injection Well Primacy; Financial Assurance; Drilling & Permitting Activity Impacts On DEP Budget   [PaEN]

-- Pine Creek Headwaters Protection Group Update: Industrial Shale Gas Development In Tioga State Forest Prioritizes Industry Profit Over Constitutional Mandate To Preserve, Protect State Forest Lands  [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Meets Dec. 12 On New Fee Schedule; Water Withdrawals, Including 4 Shale Gas; New General Permit For Into-Basin Diversions  [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approved 42 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In October; 274 General Permits So Far In 2024  [PaEN]

-- DEP Reduces Permit Backlog By 75%, Completely Eliminates Backlog For Oil & Gas Permits; You Can’t Blame DEP Anymore For Permit Delays  [PaEN]

-- Guest Essay: Protecting Public Health Means Enforcing Environmental Regulations While Helping Businesses Thrive - By Jessica Shirley, Acting DEP Secretary  [PaEN]

-- Gov. Shapiro Signs Executive Order Creating PA Permit Fast Track Program; Can't Blame DEP Anymore For Delaying Projects  [PaEN]

-- DCNR Speeds Up Endangered, Threatened Species Environmental Permit Review Times, ATV Permitting, Ginseng Certification  [PaEN]

-- DEP Publishes Updated Non-Regulatory Agenda Showing Technical Guidance Documents In Development  [PaEN] 

-- PUC To Host Nov. 25 Technical Conference On Adequacy Of Electricity Supplies In Pennsylvania  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- National Review: Northeast Pennsylvania Needs Natural Gas - New Congress, New Federal Administration Should Overturn Delaware River Basin Commission Moratorium On Shale Gas Fracking - By Jason Adams  [PDF of Article]

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Bear Lake Shale Gas Wastewater Injection Well Leak Went Undiscovered For 109 Days [PDF of article] 

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Exxon And Hilcorp Shale Gas Drillers Settle Environmental Violations With Millions In Fines And Promised Air Quality Benefits

-- CNHINews: Hilcorp Shale Gas Company One Of 2 Firms Facing EPA, DEP Penalties For Air Pollution

-- WKBN27: Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Producers To Pay EPA Penalty

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: PA Environmental Groups Urge Biden To Keep Block On LNG Gas Export Projects  [PDF of Article]

-- Environmental Health Project Releases 2024 Year In Review [Shale Gas Drilling Health Impacts]

-- Erie Times Letter: A Boon? Consider The Price Pennsylvania Pays For Fracking - By Katie Jones, FracTracker Alliance, Johnstown

-- Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition: David Callahan To Retire At End Of Year; Jim Welty To Take Over As President

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Current, Future Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition Leaders Talk Industry [Patrick Henderson Promoted To VP]  [PDF of Article]

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition Announces New Leadership In New Year

-- PA Independent Oil & Gas Assn.: Shapiro Signs Executive Order Aimed At Streamlining Permit Process For Infrastructure Projects

-- WHYY - Susan Phillips: Climate Activists Criticize Exclusion From Philadelphia Gas Works Budget Process, Propose New Rules

-- Lancaster Farming: Game Commission’s New Plan To Spend Shale Gas Drilling Lease Royalties Applauded By Sen. Martin 

-- The Allegheny Front: Fairmont, WV Residents Press Agencies On Explosion, Fire At Oil & Gas Waste Process Site Last Year Owned By PA Company

-- Utility Dive: State Ratepayer Advocates Press FERC For PJM Capacity Market Changes, Citing ‘Crushing’ Prices [Not PA’s Consumer Advocate]

-- Reuters: Gauging The Likely Republican Effect On US Energy, Power Sectors  [PDF of Article]

-- WSJ: Republican Oil & Gas Donors Don’t Really Want To ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’  [PDF of Article]

-- The Economist: New Republican Administration’s Natural Gas War Is About To Begin  [PDF of Article]

-- Institute For Energy Economics & Financial Analysis: New Fortress Energy, Leader Of LNG Gas Export Growth Bubble, Facing Bankruptcy [Proposed Building Facilities In PA]

-- Reuters: Freeport Texas LNG Gas Export Facility Shuts Down 1 Of 3 Liquefaction Lines Due To High Air Pollution Emissions Lasting 11 Hours

-- Bloomberg: Asian LNG Gas Prices Jump To Highest This Year Following Europe’s Rise

-- Reuters: US LNG Gas Exports Primed To Jump As Price In Europe Hits One-Year High

-- Reuters: US Natural Gas Drillers To Lift 2025 Output, Reversing Year Of Cuts- US EIA

-- Bloomberg: China’s Surging LNG Gas Imports From US Threatened By Next Trade War

-- Reuters: LNG Gas Tankers Divert To Europe From Asia After Russia Halts Supplies To Austria  [11.18.24]

-- Bloomberg: LNG Gas Traders Choose To Pay Penalties For Not Shipping Gas To Germany To Chase Higher Profits In Asia  [10.1.24]

[Posted: November 21, 2024]

11/25/2024