Legislation soon to be introduced in the state Senate would modify the permitting process for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Under the bill, the DEP would be required to render a decision on permit applications within 45 days. All completed permit applications will be deemed approved if they are accompanied by an affidavit executed by a licensed professional engineer affirming that the contents of the application are accurate and the requirements for the issuance of the permit or plan approval have been satisfied.
Legal requirements and environmental protections will not be reduced, and DEP maintains the ability to review permit applications.
“Pennsylvania has the potential to be an economic powerhouse, but the flaws of our current permit approval process present a significant barrier for companies looking to put down their roots here,” state Sens. Wayne Langerholc Jr. (R-Cambria/Centre/Clearfield) and Doug Mastriano (R-Adams/Franklin), who will introduce the bill, said. “A flawed permit review process has real-world consequences. In 2021, US Steel pulled out of a $1.5 billion project in southwest PA that would have created 1,000 jobs. ‘Permitting delays’ was one of the main reasons cited for the decision as US Steel confronted over two years of such delays.”