Environmental Quality Board Meets July 14 To Consider Final PFAS Land Recycling Program Regulation Changes, Hear Fee Reports On Water Quality Permits, Erosion & Sedimentation Permits

The Environmental Quality Board is scheduled to meet on July 14 to consider final Land Recycling Program regulation changes related to PFAS contamination and hear presentations on the adequacy of current water quality permit and erosion and sedimentation permit fees to cover DEP costs to administer these programs.

Click Here for the agenda.

Land Recycling Changes

The final regulations propose cleanup standards for seven compounds from the Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) family of compounds for which new toxicity data has been published. These include Gen-X (Hexafluoropropylene Oxide (HFPO) Dimer Acid) and its ammonium salt, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), and the potassium salt of Perfluorobutane sulfonate.

Erosion & Sedimentation Permit Fees

Every three years DEP presents reports to the EQB on the adequacy of permit fees to cover the agency’s costs for administering individual permit programs.

The Chapter 102 permit fee report found the current fees charged by DEP cover only 44% of agency costs resulting in an FY2026-27 deficit of more than $5.3 million.

The Chapter 102 permit fees charged by county conservation districts cover 73% of their costs resulting in an FY 2026-27 deficit of more than $7.2 million.

The Legislative Budget and Finance Committee released a Performance Evaluation of DEP’s Chapter 102 and Chapter 105 Permitting Programs in June 2019 recommending DEP adjust fees to ensure the efficient functioning of the program.  [Read more here]

“Based on the analysis in this report, DEP plans to evaluate the potential for increasing Chapter 102 permit fees. Depending on this evaluation, DEP may draft a proposed rulemaking to address the disparity between program costs and sustainable funding sources including fee revenues.”

Water Quality Permit Fees

DEP will present fee reports for Chapter 91 water quality management program and Chapter 92a NPDES wastewater and stormwater permits.

The Chapter 91 fee report says the present fees cover about 27% of the costs of administering this program with the remainder covered by the state General Fund.

“As personnel costs inevitably rise, this percentage will gradually decrease, as the number of WQM permit applications received per year is expected to remain relatively stable. 

“However, given the magnitude of the fee increases in 2021, DEP is not, at this time, recommending fee increases for WQM permits.”

The Chapter 92 a fee report says the present fees and available federal funds cover about 60% of DEP’s costs of administering this program with the remainder covered by the General Fund.

“As personnel and other costs inevitably rise, this percentage will gradually decrease, since the number of NPDES permit applications received per year is expected to remain relatively stable. 

“However, given the magnitude of the fee increases in 2021, DEP is not, at this time, recommending fee increases for NPDES permits.”

Join The Meeting

The meeting will be held in Room 105 of the Rachel Carson Building starting at 9:00 a.m.  Click Here to join the meeting via Microsoft Teams or by telephone: + 1 267-332-8737 Phone Conference ID: 845 284 052#.

Visit the Environmental Quality Board webpage for available handouts and more information. Questions should be directed to Laura Griffin, Regulatory Coordinator, laurgriffi@pa.gov,  (717) 772-3277.

[Posted: July 2, 2026]  PA Environment Digest