The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced last week that it has eliminated its permitting backlog, including over 2,000 permits that were overdue as of November 1, 2023. DEP has taken a variety of actions to achieve this historic milestone and “move at the speed of business.”
As part of an effort to modernize permit processes and allow applicants and the public to track the progress of permits, DEP launched the online Permit Tracker in January. The agency has also created a program that allows certain permit applicants to skip the permitting line. Under the Streamlining Permits for Economic Expansion and Development (SPEED) Program, eligible permit applicants can opt to pay a DEP contractor to complete initial reviews. In addition, since 2023, the agency has added 225 employees to carry out functions including permit reviews and inspections. Pennsylvania is so sure of its ability to review permits in a timely manner that it has even launched the PAybackProgram that refunds the permit application fees if the DEP does not act on an application in a set time frame.
As previously reported by ECOS, Governor Josh Shapiro announced a plan to accelerate permitting at the start of his administration.
