Pennsylvania Ag Connection - Chapter 102 Electronic Permit System to be Released Monday

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Chapter 102 Electronic Permit System to be Released Monday
Pennsylvania Ag Connection - 01/22/2021

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is finalizing development and testing of an electronic permitting (ePermitting) system for Chapter 102 permit applications for stormwater discharges associated with construction activities.

The initial release of the Chapter 102 ePermit system will occur on Jan. 25. The system is accessed through DEP GreenPort.

"Increasing the availability of online permitting is another way DEP is improving efficiency and providing certainty for applicants," DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell said Thursday. "This new option for applications will reduce workload for staff, allowing improved permit reviews."

The Chapter 102 ePermit system will save time for applicants, County Conservation District (CCD) staff, and DEP reviewers. One of the overall goals of DEP's ePermitting effort is to improve the efficiency of submission and reviews of permit applications and Notices of Intent (NOIs) and allow faster responses to applicants regarding permit submission, review, and issuance. The system will also include online payment of certain fees for applications, will reduce the expense of printing design drawings, and make information available in real-time to the public (which will increase transparency). DEP and CCD are still accepting paper applications; however, DEP expects to eventually completely replace paper applications with electronic submission.

DEP's Bureau of Clean Water administers the statewide Erosion and Sediment Control (E&S) program under Pennsylvania Code Title 25 (Environmental Protection) Chapter 102. Chapter 102 requires a permit from DEP for construction activities involving one or more acres of earth disturbance, timber harvesting and road maintenance activities involving 25 or more acres of earth disturbance, and oil and gas and other activities involving five or more acres of earth disturbance.

The initial release of the Chapter 102 ePermit system will include new NOIs for coverage under the PAG-02 General NPDES Permit for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Construction Activities and NOIs for PAG-02 amendments of coverage for applications that were originally processed in the ePermit system.

Development of the Chapter 102 ePermitting effort was built on other DEP ePermitting efforts, including the Oil and Gas Management and Chapter 105 ePermitting efforts. The Chapter 102 effort engaged CCDs, PennDOT, and engineering consultants.

Please contact RA-EPChapter102@pa.gov and visit the Chapter 102 ePermit website at https://bit.ly/36jHrA3 for information on trainings and other resources.

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