{"id":2190730,"date":"2024-03-02T09:45:02","date_gmt":"2024-03-02T14:45:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/its-groundhog-day-for-permitting-reform-in-pennsylvania\/"},"modified":"2024-03-02T09:50:29","modified_gmt":"2024-03-02T14:50:29","slug":"its-groundhog-day-for-permitting-reform-in-pennsylvania","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/its-groundhog-day-for-permitting-reform-in-pennsylvania\/","title":{"rendered":"Permitting reform in Pennsylvania feels like a never-ending cycle"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fits-groundhog-day-for-permitting-reform-in-pennsylvania%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2190730&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Senate&#8217;s Budget Hearings Focus\u200d on Permitting Reform<\/h2>\n<p>Year after year, the Senate&#8217;s\u200d budget hearings with the Department \u200cof Environment Protection \u200c(DEP) feel like a never-ending loop, much like Bill Murray&#8217;s character \u200bin\u2063 &#8220;Groundhog Day.&#8221; But this\u2064 time, there&#8217;s a renewed sense of\u200d urgency to address the long-standing issue of permitting \u200cdelays in Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n<p>Senator \u2064Gene\u200c Yaw, who has been in the Senate since 2008, expressed his frustration with\u2062 the ongoing problem. He believes that \u2063the hindrance to business growth lies not in environmental hurdles, but\u2063 in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-republicans-introduce-two-bills-to-combat-the-job-killing-biden-agenda\/\" title=\"EXCLUSIVE: Republicans Introduce Two Bills To Combat The \u2018Job-Killing Biden Agenda\u2019\">bureaucratic red tape<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Several years ago, there \u200dwas a company that\u2062 told me, \u2062&#8217;we can deal\u200d with any \u2062environmental issues. \u2062What we can&#8217;t deal with is delay.&#8217; Pennsylvania should be\u200b embarrassed \u2064about delay.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Even\u2062 Governor Shapiro has recognized the need for permitting reform across state agencies. However, despite efforts to increase funding and hire more DEP \u200bpermitting staffers, months-long delays persist. The reputation \u2063of Pennsylvania&#8217;s lengthy permitting\u2063 periods has even\u200b reached international borders, causing businesses in Taiwan to think twice about investing in\u2064 the commonwealth.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;I was recently in Taiwan, and they&#8217;re willing and able to come. We are now internationally known as having problems getting permits in a timely\u2063 fashion. Other states \u2062exploit that.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>DEP officials acknowledge the \u200dissue and have implemented a permitting backlog reduction plan to speed up the process. Acting Interim Secretary Jessica Shirley emphasized the department&#8217;s commitment to streamlining the permit modernization plan, which has already reduced the backlog by 30% month-over-month since December.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;As\u200c it ramps \u200dup, this process will eliminate a \u2064lot\u200d of that churn you&#8217;re getting. It is a problem, \u2064we acknowledge that; and that \u200dis part of what we&#8217;ve been working on through our streamlined permit modernization plan. We\u2062 have made some improvements. It&#8217;s not fixed \u2014 you cannot fix something this massive in a year. It&#8217;s going to take time and investment.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Despite these \u2063efforts, the DEP remains the subject of sardonic humor. Senator Pat Stefano shared a running \u200bjoke in the southwest, where DEP is humorously referred\u2063 to as &#8220;Don&#8217;t Expect a\u200b Permit.&#8221; However, there is a genuine desire among lawmakers to change this\u200b perception and work towards a\u2064 more efficient permitting process.<\/p>\n<p>DEP recognizes the\u2064 need for an upgrade to its outdated IT system, which hasn&#8217;t been \u200bupdated since 1994. However,\u200d the root \u2062cause of the problem, according to DEP \u2063leaders, \u2064is long-term understaffing.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Since 2006, the department has faced significant budget cuts, resulting in a loss of staff, particularly in our permitting programs. That&#8217;s why \u2064this year, we&#8217;re requesting 40 additional staff. We\u200d received \u200b30 new staff last year, and\u2062 we&#8217;re asking for\u200b another 40 this year specifically to address permitting. But\u2062 we&#8217;re still far below where we \u2062were in the \u2062early 2000s.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>While the road to permitting reform may be long, there \u200bis a collective determination\u200b to improve\u2064 the process\u200c and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-bring-resolution-to-bypass-tubervilles-holds-on-military-nominations\/\" title=\"Democrats propose resolution to bypass Tuberville's holds on military nominations.\">eliminate unnecessary delays<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What are the proposed reforms\u2063 to the permitting process in Pennsylvania,\u200b according to Senator Yaw?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  To invest hundreds of millions of dollars,&#8221; said\u200b Senator \u2062Yaw. &#8220;But they&#8217;re not willing to put\u2064 that investment\u200b in Pennsylvania because we can&#8217;t give them an\u200b answer in a reasonable amount of time.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The \u200bproposed budget for the DEP includes additional \u200dfunding to address the \u2064backlog of permit applications. However, many legislators on both sides of the aisle believe\u2063 that simply throwing more\u2062 money at the problem will not solve it. They argue that\u2064 a comprehensive reform of\u2063 the\u2064 permitting \u200cprocess is necessary to streamline and expedite the approval \u200cprocess.<\/p>\n<p>One issue that has been\u200c identified by Senator Yaw and others is the lack of clear guidelines for permit applications.\u2062 \u2063Businesses and individuals often face\u200b confusion and uncertainty when submitting\u2064 their applications, leading to\u200b mistakes and further delays. These mistakes can range from missing information to incorrect formatting, all of which prolong the approval \u200dprocess.<\/p>\n<p>Senator Yaw\u2064 has proposed legislation that would require the DEP to establish \u200dclear and concise guidelines \u200dfor permit \u200capplications.\u2063 \u2063These guidelines \u200dwould \u200boutline the necessary information and formatting \u200drequirements, reducing the potential for mistakes \u2063and delays. Additionally, the \u200blegislation\u200b would set strict timelines for the DEP to review and approve permits, providing businesses with a clear expectation of when they will receive a decision.<\/p>\n<p>Another aspect of the\u2062 permitting process that has \u2062been widely criticized is the lack of \u2064communication between the DEP and\u2062 applicants. Many\u2063 businesses \u2063and \u2063individuals complain of unanswered phone calls and emails, leaving them in the\u200c dark about the status of their \u2063applications. Senator Yaw&#8217;s proposed legislation would require\u2063 the DEP to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-briefed-on-massive-faa-outage-white-house-says-no-evidence-of-cyber-attack\/\" title=\"Biden Briefed on Massive FAA Outage, White House Says \"No Evidence of Cyber Attack\"\">provide regular updates<\/a> to applicants regarding the progress of their permit applications. This would ensure\u200c transparency and alleviate frustration for those waiting for a\u2064 decision.<\/p>\n<p>The Senate&#8217;s budget hearings have shed\u2063 light on \u200bthe need for permitting reform in Pennsylvania. While additional funding \u200dis essential to address the backlog of\u2062 permit applications, comprehensive reform of the permitting process itself is crucial to avoid future delays. Senator Yaw&#8217;s proposed legislation provides a framework for these reforms, prioritizing clear guidelines,\u2062 strict \u200ctimelines, and\u200c open communication. By taking steps to address these key issues, Pennsylvania can finally put an end to the never-ending loop \u2063of permit\u200b delays that have \u200cplagued \u200dthe state for far too long.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Has been a recurring topic in the budget hearings with the Department of Environment Protection. It feels like we&#8217;re stuck in a loop, just like Phil Connors in &#8220;Groundhog Day.&#8221; The need for permitting reform has been discussed relentlessly, year after year, without any significant progress<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2190731,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/AP23053539260418-scaled.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2190730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/AP23053539260418-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2190730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2190730"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2190730\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2190731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2190730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2190730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2190730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}