To: Scott Perry, Deputy Secretary, Office of Oil and Gas Management and Kurt Klapkowski, Director, Planning and Program Management
PA DEP, DON’T RUSH TO APPROVE NEW FRACKING RULES.
Karen Feridun
The public deserves a chance to comment on the proposed revisions of oil and gas regulations. Currently, communities in 38 counties are being fracked, yet the Environmental Quality Board is only holding hearings in seven counties, including two where no fracking is occurring. We are calling on you to add hearings in every county being fracked.
We also believe the 60-day comment period is inadequate and are calling on you to extend the comment period so the proposed rules receive the proper scrutiny.
We risk nothing by taking our time to get this right; we risk everything by rushing.
Why is this important?
On December 14th, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection began accepting comments on proposed revisions to the state’s oil and gas regulations. The PA DEP’s Environmental Quality Board is also conducting 7 public hearings during the 60-day comment period that ends on February 12th.
Currently, communities in 38 counties are being fracked, yet the EQB is only holding hearings in 7 counties, including 2 where no fracking is occurring. Meanwhile, the most heavily impacted counties, like Bradford and Butler are being passed over. We are calling on the DEP to add hearings in every county being fracked.
In addition, the 60-day comment period is far too short. Proposed rules like these demand ample time for comment. Rules on similarly important matters have been subject to comment periods anywhere from 120-days to six months long. The short comment period also impacts the scheduling of the hearings. The first hearing is scheduled for January 7th, the second day of the first full work week of the new year. All seven will be held within 17 days during one of the most difficult travel months of the year. No alternate dates have been provided by the DEP, nor have they stated a process for cancelling and rescheduling meetings due to weather.
Does the DEP really want to hear from you? Sure doesn’t seem that way! Demand that the DEP do its job and listen to your comments and concerns. Tell them to add hearings so people, some whose lives have been turned upside down by fracking, are heard. Tell them to extend the comment period so that these proposed rules receive the proper scrutiny. We risk nothing by taking our time to get this right; we risk everything by rushing.