Environmental Law

Heavy Budget Cuts at PADEP

By M. Joel Bolstein

PADEP's state operating budget is being cut by 26.7%, according to information I received today.  What does that translate into in terms of reduced compliment at the Department?  I'm told that it's estimated PADEP will lose 325 real people.  How the Department will get its work done with those cuts on top of other cuts that have occurred over the last few years is going to be a topic of much conversation both inside and outside the Department.  I'm told the Department may have to consider handing programs back to EPA.  What's it going to mean for brownfield developers?  Will brownfield developers feel any of those cuts?  Undoubtedly they will.  Fewer DEP staffers mean fewer people to review Act 2 plans and reports.  It also means fewer people to review and approve permit applications necessary for development projects, i.e., air permits, water permits, NPDES stormwater construction permits.  The Department may have to resort to something it has previously tried to avoid, namely, allowing plans and permits to be deemed approved because the Department hasn't met its statutory review deadlines.  The Department is going to be entering uncharted waters with this new budget, and we'll all have to be watching closely to see how it is going to affect individual programs.            

Full post as published by PA Brownfields Environmental Law on October 09, 2009 (boomark / email).