DEP Reveals Industry Permit Applications Mostly Flawed
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection sounded off last week about the low-quality permit applications it receives for earthmoving activities and oil and gas sites.
Most of the applications that come through the door have flaws that need fixing, DEP found. Clean Air Council is not surprised. Most of the gas industry applications for DEP permits that we investigate have flaws too. Some of these problems with the applications are minor, but others are very big, like miscalculating how much air pollution the project would create, or giving short shrift to public safety requirements. A high-ranking DEP official said, “The department’s position is that we won’t issue permits that have technical deficiencies. Period.” Great—that is how it should be. Clean Air Council plans to hold DEP to that!
