Pittsburgh, PA and Washington, DC
FNREL Mineral and Energy Law Newsletter
Pennsylvania – Mining
(by Joe Reinhart, Sean McGovern, Gina Buchman, and Jordan Brown)
On January 27, 2026, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) announced its Major Projects Permitting Division (MPPD) (formerly the Regional Permit Coordination Office), following the agency’s reorganization of permitting functions within the new Bureau of Permitting Coordination. See News Release, PADEP, “Getting Permitting Done: DEP Achieved Historic Success in Permitting in 2025, Eliminates Longstanding Backlog” (Jan. 27, 2026); see also Commw. of Pa., “Major Projects Permitting Division,” here. The Bureau of Permitting Coordination is now comprised of the MPPD and the Streamlining Permits for Economic Expansion and Development (SPEED) program.
The MPPD is staffed like the state’s regional programs responsible for Chapter 102 (Erosion and Sediment Control) and Chapter 105 (General Permits) permitting, and consists of a team of engineering and environmental reviewers. Covered projects include Federal Energy Regulatory Commission-regulated natural gas transmission pipelines, large-scale linear infrastructure, transportation projects, and projects with complex engineering or geologic considerations. The Division supports and coordinates statewide permitting for major economic development projects, ensuring efficiency and consistency in Chapter 102 and Chapter 105 approvals.
MPPD’s core functions include:
- Project review and decision making on Chapter 102 and 105 permits;
- Statewide engineering support on trenchless technology, geologic hazards, contaminated sites, complex bedrock, landslides, coal ash, and acid-producing rock; cross-program alignment with regional offices, oil and gas, dam safety and flood protection, mining programs, and county conservation districts;
- Technical collaboration with the Bureau of Waterways, Engineering, and Wetlands and the Bureau of Clean Water; and
- Transportation coordination under memoranda of understanding with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and contributions to policy, guidance, standard operating procedures, and Clean Water Act § 401 water quality certification materials.
The SPEED program, created in July 2024, was established to accelerate and simplify the permitting process for projects eligible for expedited review under Act 54 of 2024. As reported in Vol. 42, No. 4 (2025) of this Newsletter, PADEP began accepting applications in June 2025 and subsequently expanded SPEED program coverage to four additional areas. Eligible SPEED permit types now include state-only air quality plan approvals (Chapter 127), earth disturbance permits (Chapter 102), individual water obstruction and encroachment permits (Chapter 105), dam safety permits (Chapter 105), and the oil and gas erosion and sediment control general permits. In the January 2026 news release, PADEP said it intends to add new permit types to the SPEED program via the Bureau of Permit Coordination.
Copyright © 2026, The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law, Westminster, Colorado
