![]() ![]() He called the timing of the vote “tone-deaf.” “This is nothing more than a dog whistle,” he said.Įxecutive director of PennEnvironment David Masur said on one hand, “what’s in a name?” But, on the other hand, he said, lawmakers are supposed to tackle the serious issues facing the state. Hess said any problems within the agency won’t be fixed with a name change. Hess noted lawmakers have not been publicly discussing proposed solutions, such as Acting DEP Secretary Rich Negrin’s plan for improving permitting. ![]() That doesn’t mean they should have an unfair enforcement process,” he said. “That doesn’t mean that they can’t have an efficient and effective permit process. Yaw’s bill wouldn’t change DEP’s oversight responsibilities or enforcement powers.ĭavid Hess, a former DEP Secretary under Republican governors Tom Ridge and Mark Schweiker, said the mission of the department is protection. DEP says it has sped up permitting times, but many applications are submitted without all the necessary information. Republicans in the legislature have for years criticized DEP for slow permit processing. The report said DEP failed to protect the public from the health effects of fracking and were unprepared for the drilling boom that started about 15 years ago. “The citizens of Pennsylvania are not the enemy of DEP but I think that’s kind of what’s happened,” Yaw said during a recent meeting of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.Ī grand jury report in 2020 found DEP was not over-policing but letting the fracking industry get away with too much. He said DEP has taken on the attitude of police, instead of working as a partner with permit applicants. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) said a name change could spark what he sees as a needed culture change. The state Senate voted along party lines on June 7 to rename the agency the “Department of Environmental Services.” Republican lawmakers want to change the name of the Department of Environmental Protection. ![]()
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