The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) formally started accepting applications for the Streamlining Permits for Economic Expansion and Development (SPEED) program on Monday for a common construction permit.
The new initiative builds on the Shapiro administration’s work to reform the commonwealth’s permitting, licensing, and certification processes, according to DEP.
“For the past few years, DEP has looked for new ways to improve our services, while still protecting Pennsylvania’s beautiful environment, and SPEED is another tool for us to do both,” said DEP Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley.
The first permits available under the SPEED program are Chapter 102 Individual NPDES Permits for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Construction Activities, according to DEP, which previously launched a pilot program to improve and accelerate the review process for these key construction and stormwater discharge permits.
The SPEED program, created by the 2024-2025 budget signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro, will provide additional flexibility to permit applicants by allowing them to choose to have a DEP-verified and qualified professional conduct the initial review of the application.
DEP staff then will review the recommendations of the qualified professional and either make a final permit decision or identify technical deficiencies to the applicant.
DEP said it will have final authority over all permit decisions, and applicants for those permits must pay any review fees incurred by the qualified professional, in addition to permit application fees.
“Like an amusement park fast pass, SPEED gives permit applicants the choice to skip the permit line and have their project first reviewed by a qualified professional contracted through the department and paid for by the applicant,” Shirley said.
DEP is continuing to accept bids from qualified professionals to review applications for certain Air Quality Plan Approvals (Chapter 127), earth disturbance (Chapter 102), dam safety (Chapter 105), and individual water obstruction and encroachment (Chapter 105) permits, said the department, and applications for other permit types under the SPEED program will open later in July.