Pennsylvania DEP secretary answers complaints

By TOM KANE

HARRISBURG, PA - John Hanger has spoken.

Responding to a cascade of complaints from every sector of state and local governments for instituting a measure curtailing the role of local community conservation districts (CCD) in monitoring gas well drilling, Hanger, the newly appointed Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary, sent a generic letter to all conservation district managers defending his early spring action.

On March 18, DEP summarily made a decision to transfer responsibility for reviews and permit functions associated with oil and gas drilling and related activities from the CCDs to the DEP Regional Office Oil and Gas Management Program. The decision was arrived at without consultation of any conservation district, which was unprecedented.

The letter detailed various reasons the action was taken. In summary, some of the reasons given were that combining the permit and inspection function to one agency “should lead to more protective and efficient regulations” and that by taking on these CCD functions, DEP inspection staff will be responsible for all aspects of gas operations, which would “create a more efficient and effective process that will better protect water resources.”

The statement said that the creation of a new regional office staff will make even stronger oversight and that this “cradle to grave responsibility will provide greater consistency for gas operators, as well as DEP’s overall regulatory responsibilities to safeguard the people’s right to clean water.”

Hanger also expressed concerns with the increasing workload for CCDs. Since 1992, CCD workload has increased 16-fold, he said. “We have heard frustration expressed repeatedly over the years by CCDs related to insufficient funding to address this expanding workload.” The expected increase in Marcellus Shale activity will only add to that existing workload.

Hanger said that DEP will hire 37 new staff members to oversee the gas operation.

“Gas production in the Marcellus Shale will create hundreds of billions of dollars of new wealth,” Hanger said, and “will create tens of thousands of new jobs.” He acknowledged that the goal of the DEP is to work toward maximizing the benefits and minimizing the inevitable problems.

The letter ended with this closing statement: “While Pennsylvania’s natural gas reserves could increase the supply of a clean burning fuel, with very important climate and air benefits and yield billions of dollars and tens of thousands of jobs for our communities and families, we will not compromise the state’s environmental regulations in the production of gas.”

The letter was read at the Wayne County Commissioners meeting on May 5. At the same meeting, the commissioners received a copy of a letter sent to Hanger from the Delaware Highlands Conservancy in Hawley. In it, conservancy president Carson Helfrich called the change in CCD responsibilities “disturbing.”

The reaction from Pike County Commissioner Harry Forbes was similar, saying, “Secretary Hanger leaves no room whatever for compromise. It is inconceivable that Secretary Hanger would take on these serious changes by his own authority.”