Providing for an erosion and sediment control permit, for compliance, for annual report and for duties of the Department of Environmental Protection.
HB873 would create a standalone statutory framework for erosion and sediment control permits in Pennsylvania. It requires persons proposing regulated earth disturbance activities, except projects already subject to NPDES requirements, to obtain an erosion and sediment control permit before beginning work. The bill is aimed at projects governed by 25 Pa. Code Chapter 102 and establishes the permit as a prerequisite to commencement of covered activities.
The bill also sets deadlines for agency action. The Department of Environmental Protection, or an authorized conservation district operating under a delegation agreement, would generally have to issue a permit within 45 days of submission unless the application is administratively incomplete or noncompliant with Chapter 102. Applications submitted by a licensed engineer would have to be approved within 20 days of receipt, and any denial would have to be communicated in writing within five days with the reasons stated. The department would retain authority to impose permit conditions needed to ensure compliance with applicable state laws.
HB873 would also add reporting and oversight requirements. By January 31 each year, DEP would have to submit an annual report to the General Assembly detailing application volumes by industry sector, approvals, review times by regional office, staffing and reviewer workload, reasons for deficiencies or denials, and fee revenue collected under Chapter 102. The bill would take effect 60 days after enactment.
Overall, the bill appears designed to speed up and standardize erosion and sediment control permitting while increasing transparency about DEP performance and workload. It would affect permit applicants in earth disturbance industries, licensed engineers, DEP staff, and conservation districts with delegated authority. By creating firm review timelines and reporting obligations, the bill would likely increase administrative accountability and could constrain agency discretion in permit processing.
HB873 would amend the practical administration of Pennsylvania’s erosion and sediment control permitting system by imposing statutory deadlines, notice requirements, and annual reporting duties on DEP and delegated conservation districts. It would not replace Chapter 102 or NPDES requirements, but would overlay a new permit process for regulated earth disturbance activities and require permit applicants to secure approval before starting work. The bill would also increase transparency around staffing, processing times, denials, and fee collections, potentially affecting how DEP allocates reviewers and manages permit backlogs.
No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so there is no direct evidence of floor or committee sentiment in the materials supplied. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to reflect a pro-permitting-efficiency and pro-accountability approach, with supporters likely favoring faster turnaround times and clearer agency obligations. The absence of recorded debate or votes means the level of support or opposition cannot be determined from the available context.
The likely points of contention are the mandatory review deadlines, especially the 20-day approval timeline for applications submitted by a licensed engineer, and whether DEP and conservation districts have sufficient staff and resources to meet those deadlines. Environmental regulators may be concerned that rigid timelines could pressure review quality or limit the ability to ensure full compliance, while industry stakeholders may support the bill as a way to reduce delays and uncertainty. Another possible issue is the bill’s reporting burden and whether the required staffing, workload, and revenue disclosures are too detailed or administratively demanding.