Pittsburgh, PA and Washington, DC
The Foundation Water Law Newsletter
(by Lisa Bruderly, Mackenzie Moyer and Ethan Johnson)
On August 21, 2025, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced that companies may now request expedited permit application reviews under the Streamlining Permits for Economic Expansion and Development (SPEED) program. DEP likened the new program to an amusement park “fast pass.” Eligible permit types for the SPEED program include:
- Air Quality plan approvals (state only) (Chapter 127)
- Earth Disturbance permits (Chapter 102)
- Individual NPDES Permit
- General NPDES Permit for Discharges of Stormwater Associated with Small Construction Activities (PAG-01)
- General NPDES Permit for Discharges of Stormwater Associated with Construction Activities (PAG-02)
- Erosion and Sediment Control Permit
- Erosion and Sediment Control General Permit for Earth Disturbance Associated with Oil and Gas Exploration, Production, Processing or Treatment Operations or Transmission Lines (ESCGP-4)
- Individual Water Obstruction and Encroachment permits for project impacts eligible for coverage under the federal/state programmatic permit (PASPGP-6 or its successor) (Chapter 105)
- Dam Safety Permits (Chapter 105)
After submitting a SPEED intake form, the appropriate office will schedule and hold an intake meeting with the applicant within two to three business days.
The applicant will then have the opportunity to select a DEP-approved qualified professional to conduct the expedited review of the application. Among other qualifications, the professional must have at least five years of relevant permitting experience in Pennsylvania. The applicant must pay the qualified professional the review fee up front. The qualified professional must complete the initial review within 20% of the total review timeframe in the project work order, or another agreed upon timeframe.
DEP will conduct a final review of the permit based on the recommendations of the qualified professional and issue a permit decision. More information, including a flow chart of the full process under the SPEED program, is available on DEP’s website here.
Copyright © 2025, The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law, Westminster, Colorado
