Auditor General DePasquale Commends DEP for Taking Action to Implement Audit Recommendations to Protect Water Quality
Auditor General DePasquale Commends DEP for Taking Action to Implement Audit Recommendations to Protect Water Quality
HARRISBURG (April 6, 2015) – Auditor General Eugene DePasquale today said he is pleased to see the Department of Environmental Protection is implementing audit recommendations that should help protect water quality.
“Our audit found that DEP was unprepared and understaffed to effectively administer laws and regulations to protect drinking water when the Marcellus Shale natural gas boom began,” DePasquale said.
“We provided 29 recommendations for improvement, and the fact that DEP is working to revise standards for oil and gas well sites is proof that our audit work is helping to better protect water quality near well sites.
“As I said last year when the audit report was released, shale gas development can offer benefits to our commonwealth and our nation, but the benefits cannot come at the expense of the public’s trust, health, and well-being,” DePasquale said. “I am glad to see Acting DEP Secretary John Quigley is taking our recommendations seriously to improve the protection of water quality.”
Last month DEP released a revised rulemaking proposal on the Environmental Protection Performance Standards at Oil and Gas Well Sites. Improving protection of water resources is the first of five core areas on which the amendments focus.
More information about the Department of the Auditor General’s report on “DEP’s performance in monitoring potential impacts to water quality from shale gas development, 2009-2012” is available online.
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