First Meeting Of DEP Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force July 22

The Department of Environmental Protection will hold the first meeting of the Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force on July 22 at DEP’s Southcentral Regional Office, 909 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg starting at 1:00, according to a notice published in the July 4 PA Bulletin.

Although DEP has not announced who the 34 members of the Task Force will be, Rep. Martina White(R-Philadelphia) issued a press release Thursday saying she had been named to the Task Force.

The purpose and goals of the Task Force are to define a series of best practices to:

— Plan, site and route pipelines in ways that avoid or reduce environmental and community impacts of pipeline development.

— Amplify and engage in meaningful public participation regarding pipeline development.

— Maximize opportunities for predictable and efficient permitting.

— Employ construction methods that reduce environmental and community impacts.

— Ensure pipeline safety and integrity during operation of the pipeline

The Task Force, which Gov. Wolf created in May, will provide a final report to the Governor detailing the findings of the Task Force in February 2016.

The notice said questions regarding the meeting can be directed to an email address: RA-EPPITF@pa.gov.

More information about the meeting and an agenda will be published on DEP’s Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force webpage.