The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will
formally begin accepting applications for the Streamlining Permits for Economic
Expansion and Development program as of , Monday June 30, 2025, for a common construction permit.
“For the past few years, DEP has looked for new ways to improve our services, while
still protecting Pennsylvania’s beautiful environment, and SPEED is another tool for us
to do both,” said DEP Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley. “Like an amusement park fast
pass, SPEED gives permit applicants the choice to skip the permit line and have their
project first reviewed by a qualified professional contracted through the Department and
paid for by the applicant.”
More information on the SPEED program can be found on the DEP website.
The first permits available under the SPEED program are Chapter 102 Individual
NPDES Permits for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Construction Activities.
DEP previously launched a pilot program to improve and accelerate the review process
for these key construction and stormwater discharge permits.
The SPEED program will provide additional flexibility to permit applicants by allowing
them to choose to have a DEP-verified and qualified professional conduct the initial
review of the application. DEP staff will review the recommendations of the qualified
professional and either make a final permit decision or identify technical deficiencies to
the applicant. DEP will have final authority over all permit decisions. Applicants for those
permits will agree to pay any review fees incurred by the qualified professional, in
addition to permit application fees.
DEP is continuing to accept bids from qualified professionals to review applications for
certain Air Quality Plan Approvals (Chapter 127), earth disturbance (Chapter 102), dam
safety (Chapter 105), and individual water obstruction and encroachment (Chapter 105)
permits.
Applications for other permit types under the SPEED Program will open later in July.
DEP is modernizing its permitting process by investing in new technology and reviewing
processes to identify and eliminate bottlenecks. In January, DEP launched a Permit
Tracker to allow applicants and residents to monitor the progress of permits as they
move through the review process. Since 2023, DEP has also added 225 employees to
carry out critical functions like public health and safety inspections and permit
application reviews.
