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PA environment gets the axe - environmental permitting to be streamlined
A budget proposal [1] released today by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett emphasizes jobs creation and looks to cuts in environmental protection and permitting as one way to save money.
It will take some time to wade through the 1,184-page document"we'll post a more complete story tomorrow.
But a quick glance shows that the Department of Environmental Protection will face reduced funding across the board, including in its water safety and water treatment programs.
The state has been under pressure recently to reign in environmental damage from its fast-growing natural gas drilling industry, and has faced criticism--including in a 2009 ProPublica investigation [2]"-for its inability to handle and safely treat wastewater produced from the drilling process. In response, the DEP has added staff, implemented stricter drilling rules, and begun permitting and building new and improved water treatment plants.
That momentum could now change.