DEP Works Thru Pandemic: 582 More Permits, 1,392 More Inspections Since Last Week; Not Accepting New Reg Suspension Requests

From March 16 to July 21, Department of Environmental Protection employees have been teleworking and using COVID-19 mitigation measures to continue to fulfill its mission.  DEP staff have--

-- Conducted 25,237 inspections - 1,392 more than last week;

-- Processed 10,993 permit applications and authorizations - 582 more than last week;

-- Processed 93 percent of Permit Decision Guarantee applications and authorizations, down 1 percent from last week; and

-- Responded to 122 environmental emergencies, nine more than last week.

Suspension Requests

DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell told the Citizens Advisory Council Tuesday his agency stopped accepting requests for suspensions of regulation and permit conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic because DEP was not receiving any requests.

He said DEP is evaluating how well the process work in case something similar has to be used in the future.

DEP granted requests to suspend a regulatory or permit condition to 43 entities so they may continue operating during the pandemic, one more than last week.

Inspections

DEP continues to prioritize field inspections that are critical to public health and safety. DEP staff are working remotely, and responding to complaints related to issues critical to public health and safety.

DEP will continue to respond in the field to environmental emergencies that present an immediate threat to public health and safety.

To report environmental emergencies, please call 1-800-541-2050.

Visit DEP’s Alert webpage for more information and updates.

[Posted: July 21, 2020]  PA Environment Digest