HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has opened a 45-day public comment period for input on two general permits and revisions to an air quality permit exemption for reducing methane and other pollutants at well sites and compressor stations associated with natural gas drilling and transport.
The comment period opened Feb. 4 and will run until March 21. The proposal can be found here.
“The general permits and revisions are part of this administration’s overall commitment to reduce methane emissions,” said DEP Acting Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “The next step is to solicit additional feedback from stakeholders and the public so that we can ensure that the needs of Pennsylvania’s residents and industries are met.”
The proposals were drafted after discussions with industry stakeholders, environmental professionals and residents over the past year, following Governor Tom Wolf’s announcement of his initiative to improve air quality and help businesses reduce lost emissions. More details on the Governor’s overall methane reduction strategy can be found here.
Permits
The proposed General Permit 5A (GP-5A) and the revised General Permit 5 (GP-5) establish updated Best Available Technology (BAT) requirements for the industry regarding air emission limits, source testing, leak detection and repair, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements for the applicable air pollution sources.
Facilities that would be regulated under the new GP-5A include unconventional natural gas well site operations and remote pigging stations above the exemption threshold, which are used for maintenance on pipelines and are not located at another natural gas facility.
The proposed GP-5 revisions would affect compressor stations, transmission stations, and processing plants.
To comment
Interested persons may submit written comments on this draft proposal by 4 p.m., March 21. Comments submitted by facsimile will not be accepted. All comments, including comments submitted by electronic mail, must include the originator’s name and address.
Commentators are encouraged to review these proposed general permits and submit comments using the Department’s online e-Comment tool or by email to ecomment@pa.gov.
Written comments should be submitted to: The Policy Office, Department of Environmental Protection, Rachel Carson State Office Building, P.O. Box 2063, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2063.
