DEP Talks To Air Quality Advisory Committee About Proposed Fee Increases Sept. 6

The Department of Environmental Protection will present concepts it would like to include in a proposed fee increase package to the Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee on September 6.

In a background presentation to be presented to the Committee, DEP notes the state Air Pollution Control Act requires to Environmental Quality Board to establish fees to cover the costs of the state Air Quality Program as required by the federal Clean Air Act.

In FY 2015-16, DEP said expenditures from the Clean Air Fund for the Program were $27.5 million while income into the Fund was $21 million.

Approximately 60 percent of the Program budget comes from the Fund and the remaining funding comes from the state General Fund-- 24 percent and federal grants-- 16 percent.

DEP projects a negative balance in the Fund will occur in FY 2021-22.

DEP will present a proposal which in FY 2019-20 would increase permit review fees to slightly more than $10 million from the present $1.7 million and present several options to increase the Title V air emission fees by about $5 million-- from $15.2 million to about $20.5 million, depending on the option selected.

The meeting will be held by webinar starting at 9:15.  Click Here to register for the webinar.

For more information, visit DEP’s Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee webpage or contact Kirit Dalal by sending email to: kdalal@pa.gov or call 717-772-3436.