Shapiro Administration launching additional permits for Pa. companies

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Pennsylvania companies can now request expedited reviews of permit applications, the Shapiro Administration announced.  

Applications for air quality, dam safety, oil and gas well pad construction, wetland and waterway encroachment, and additional erosion and sedimentation permit are under the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection‘s (DEP) Streamlining permits for Economic Expansion and Development (SPEED) program.

“We are continuing to improve our permit efficiency and are proud to offer more options for applicants to have their reviews done quickly,” DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley said in a statement. “The Shapiro Administration is committed to moving at the speed of business and expanding opportunities for Pennsylvania, without sacrificing the environmental and public health protections that Pennsylvanians deserve.” 

The following permit types are now available for SPEED reviews: 

• Air Quality Plan approvals. 

• Chapter 105 Waterway and Wetland Encroachment permits. 

• Chapter 105 Dam Safety permits. 

• Chapter 102 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System general permits (PAG-01 and PAG-02) for stormwater discharges associated with construction activities. 

• Chapter 102 Individual NPDES Permits (previously available). 

• Chapter 102 Erosion and Sediment Control Permits. 

• Chapter 102 Erosion and Sediment Control General Permit (ESCGP for earth disturbance associated with oil and gas exploration, production, processing, or treatment operations or transmission facilities). 

The SPEED program is designed to provide additional flexibility to permit applicants by allowing them to choose to have a DEP-verified and qualified professional conduct the initial review of the application. DEP staff will review the recommendations of the qualified professional and either make a final permit decision or identify technical deficiencies to the applicant. DEP will have final authority over all permit decisions. 

Applicants for those permits will agree to pay any review fees incurred by the qualified professional, in addition to permit application fees.  

The SPEED program was created by the 2024-25 budget signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro, and the DEP opened the program in June 2025. Previously, the DEP had launched a pilot program to improve and accelerate the review process for these key construction and stormwater discharge permits.  

According to a release, DEP is modernizing its permitting process by investing in new technology and reviewing processes to identify and eliminate bottlenecks. In January, DEP allowed applicants and residents to monitor the progress of permits as they move through the review process. 

Since 2023, DEP has also added 225 employees to carry out such crucial functions as public health and safety inspections and permit application reviews.