As part of his budget testimony to his state’s Senate Appropriations Committee, Acting Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Richard Negrin shared a 10-point plan to improve the agency’s permitting reviews. The goals of the plan are to speed up the permit review process and improve the quality of the permit applications submitted to DEP.
Included in the plan are 30 new staff positions focused on permitting and a rapid response team to focus on selected permitting projects. In addition, the DEP will consider how projects meeting certain criteria may be fast tracked, and how permit forms and processes can be streamlined.
Other components of the plan include upgrading and consolidating technology systems for permit reviews, and using key performance indicators and private sector management principles to drive and report operational improvements. The blueprint also emphasizes outreach through pre-application meetings, engagement with stakeholders, and coordination with the Governor’s Office for Transformation & Opportunity.
