- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
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Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection 
Logo of the DEP Agency overview Formed July 1, 1995 Preceding agency Department of Environmental Resources Jurisdiction State government of Pennsylvania Headquarters Rachel Carson State Office Building, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
40°15′45″N 76°52′46.5″W / 40.2625°N 76.879583°WAgency executive John Hanger, Secretary of Environmental Protection Website www.dep.state.pa.us The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was established on July 1, 1995, is the agency in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania responsible for protecting and preserving the land, air, water, and energy resources through enforcement of the State's environmental laws. The Department also fosters community development, environmental education, and encourages public involvement in environmental policy.[1]
Contents
Structure
Office of the Secretary
The policy initiatives of the Secretary are created here as well as environmental justice. Both the environmental quality board and the citizens advisory council also help the Secretary shape Departmental policy.[2]
Office of the Executive Deputy Secretary
The Executive Deputy Secretary performs major communication with various media outlets. Other responsibilities include the development of legislative initiatives and grants for environmental education.[2]
Community Revitalization and Local Government Support
The Land Recycling program, Brownfields Action Team, and the Office of Local Government Liaisons all assist municipalities and business to foster redevelopment of derelict and polluted properties.[3]
Field Operations
The six regional offices (located in Norristown, Harrisburg, Williamsport, Wilkes-Barre, Pittsburgh, and Meadville) as well as the main laboratory all receive assistance through this office. The emergency response team, which handles all environmental emergencies throughout the state, also operates under this office.[4]
Radiation Protection
Waste Management
Watershed Management
Waterways Engineering
Licensing, Permits & Certifications
Natural Gas Well Permits
In March 2011, testimony of four DEP staffers, responsible for processing permits, suggested that applications for natural gas well permits are rubber-stamped, rushed through with little scrutiny and rarely rejected. The staffers' statements indicate that DEP regulators are overburdened - and possibly ignoring environmental laws - as they struggle to deal with an unprecedented drilling boom.[5] Pennsylvania Governor, Tom Corbett, previously repealed a 4-month-old policy that prevented natural gas drilling in state parks, which the former director of DCNR stated could hurt recreation and the environment of parks in the Western part of the state.[6] In April 2011, DEP reported elevated levels of bromide, a chemical used in the natural gas drilling process, in rivers and streams in the Western part of the state and called on companies drilling in the Marcellus Shale natural gas formation to stop taking wastewater to 15 treatment plants by May 19. Michael Krancer, acting Secretary of the DEP, further stated, "if operators (natural gas drilling) would stop giving wastewater to facilities that continue to accept it under the special provision, bromide concentrations would quickly and significantly decrease."[7]
Secretaries
Name Dates Served Appointed by James Seif * 1995 – 2001 Tom Ridge David Hess 2001 – 2003 Kathleen McGinty 2003 – 2008 Edward Rendell John Hanger 2008 Michael Krancer (acting) 2011 – Present Tom Corbett * James Seif was also the last Secretary of the Department of Environmental Resources before it was split.[8]
See also
Notes
- ^ http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=3&q=461240
- ^ a b Pennsylvania Manual, p. 4-54.
- ^ Pennsylvania Manual, p. 4-55.
- ^ Pennsylvania Manual, p. 4-56.
- ^ http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/gas-drilling/testimony-review-suggests-dep-rubber-stamps-drilling-permits-1.1132463#axzz1K5FaolZj
- ^ http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11055/1127614-455.stm
- ^ http://www.timesleader.com/news/Pa__acts__to_block__drill_water__treatment_04-20-2011.html
- ^ Pennsylvania Manual, pp. 4-58 – 4-59.
References
- "Cabinet-level agencies". The Pennsylvania Manual. 118. Harrisburg, PA: Pennsylvania Department of General Services. 2007. http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/volume_118/1581.
External links
Categories:- State agencies of Pennsylvania
- State environmental protection agencies of the United States
- Government agencies established in 1995
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