PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: ….Among its 25 findings, the 70-page Earthworks report alleges that the DEP’s oil and gas office:
■ has failed to consider the cumulative health impacts from shale gas development;
■ keeps incomplete permitting and enforcement records that make it impossible for residents to assess their exposure to air and water emissions;
■ has increased inspections, but they still don’t meet even the voluntary goals the department set;
■ poorly tracks, records and responds to citizen complaints;
■ puts a higher premium on speedy permitting than enforcement.
“The cases we reviewed, our testing and data analysis clearly shows that the DEP is unable to keep up with inspections or enforce its regulations and allows fixes over fines,” said Nadia Steinzor, the report’s lead author and Earthworks Eastern program coordinator. “Regulations should create a deterrent system and hold operators accountable.” … (more)
