The PA Environmental Council Thursday hailed the Independent Regulatory Review Commission’s approval of final regulations to enact long-overdue environmental protection and performance standards at oil and gas well sites. PEC President Davitt Woodwell issued the following statement:
“We are pleased the Independent Regulatory Review Commission has confirmed what we and the public have been saying for the past several years – these regulations are reasonable and necessary for the protection of public health and the environment. It’s long past time for Pennsylvania, after an unprecedented and prolonged engagement process, to put these rules into practice.
“The General Assembly should honor the very regulations and standards they called for four years ago, and recognized by IRRC today as in the public interest” said Woodwell. “The Department of Environmental Protection has taken unprecedented efforts to engage the public, industry, and other stakeholders in developing and presenting these rules, which set the commitment necessary for our state, and for industry, to truly say we are following leading practices. It is not the end of the dialogue by any means — continuous improvement should always be our goal — but it is a long-overdue step in meeting our obligation to allow for safe resource development, while also protecting the people and environment of Pennsylvania.”
The rulemaking, initiated more than four years ago after passage of Act 13 of 2012 by the General Assembly and Governor, involved two separate public comment periods, 12 public hearings, and dozens of meetings with stakeholders by the Department of Environmental Protection. Approval by IRRC represents one of the key final steps in Pennsylvania’s complex regulatory process.
For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the PA Environmental Council website, visit the PEC Blog, follow PEC on Twitter or Like PEC on Facebook. Click Here to receive regular updates from PEC.
For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the PA Environmental Council website, visit the PEC Blog, follow PEC on Twitter or Like PEC on Facebook. Click Here to receive regular updates from PEC.
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