The Department of Environmental Protection today announced the Environmental Quality Board voted 16 to 2 to approve proposed regulation changes to strengthen environmental protection performance standards associated with oil and gas drilling activities. The changes were required by Act 13 drilling law passed in 2012.
The proposed changes were approved over the objections of the industry-dominated Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board which said the regulations were not yet ready for public review.
The two negative votes at the EQB were from Burt Waite, who sits on the Oil and Gas Advisory Board, and William Fink, an environmental manager with a Bedford County farming operation. Both sit on the EQB as representatives of the DEP Citizens Advisory Council.
This proposed rulemaking reflects significant input from statewide environmental organizations, local government groups, residents living near well sites and industry representatives who have met with DEP over the last two years to share their expertise in shaping this proposal.
The department has recommended increasing the public comment period for the proposal from the normal 30-day timeframe and holding one public hearing, to a 60-day comment period with at least six public hearings across the state to gather as much public input as possible.
“Through Gov. Corbett’s leadership, Pennsylvania is proving that economic opportunity does not have to occur at the expense of environmental stewardship,” Acting DEP Secretary Chris Abruzzo said. “We are working hard to ensure that natural gas development is done according to the high and consistent standards Pennsylvanians expect.”
This proposed regulation furthers the department’s implementation of the tasks it was assigned by the General Assembly under Act 13 of 2012. Corbett signed Act 13 on February 14, 2012, and the law represents the first comprehensive update and strengthening of the state’s oil and gas laws in nearly 30 years.
The draft regulation includes provisions further enhancing the consideration of impacts to public resources, such as parks and wildlife areas; the prevention of spills; the management of waste; and the restoration of well sites after drilling.
Additionally, the draft rulemaking also includes standards affecting the construction of gathering lines and temporary pipelines, and includes provisions for identifying and monitoring abandoned wells close to well sites.
“This proposed regulation includes comprehensive amendments that are designed to reduce potential environmental impacts from oil and gas activities,” Abruzzo said. “I personally want to thank the EQB for their support in moving this historical package forward.”
The draft regulation will be reviewed by the Attorney General’s Office and the Office of General Counsel. After the offices’ review, there will be a 60 day comment period and six public hearings will be scheduled to hear public comments on the proposed changes.
Details on where comments can be submitted on the draft rulemaking will be provided when the proposal is published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and on DEP’s website. The dates and locations of the six public hearings will be announced by the EQB in the near future on the website and through a news release issued by the department.
For more information, visit DEP’s special Oil and Gas Regulations webpage.
