Eligibility
#eligibility
Schedule Pre-Application Meeting
#meeting
Submit Intake Form
https://forms.office.com/g/gR76VykNn8Overview
The Streamlining Permits for Economic Expansion and Development (SPEED) Program was created in July 2024 to continue the DEP’s Permit Modernization effort to move further and faster in permit processing and keep Pennsylvania moving at the speed of business.
Through SPEED, permit applicants for select permits will be able to use DEP-approved qualified professionals to conduct initial reviews of applications for expedited review. DEP staff will review recommendations from the qualified professional and make the decision to approve or deny the permit or issue a technical deficiency letter to the applicant.
Am I Eligible?
A pre-application meeting is strongly recommended to help determine eligibility. Submit the SPEED Program Intake form and the pre-application meeting will help determine eligibility.
Eligible Permit Types:
- Air Quality plan approvals (state-only) (Ch. 127)
- Earth Disturbance permits (Ch. 102)
- Individual Water Obstruction and Encroachment permits (Ch. 105)
- Dam Safety permits (Ch. 105)
- Oil & Gas Erosion and Sediment Control General Permit (ESCGP)
DEP is coordinating activities across the state to meet the implementation deadline. Permit Decision Guarantee and PAyback review timeframes will still apply to SPEED permits.
Apply for SPEED
Pre-Application Meetings
The pre-application meeting is held in the development stage and will help determine eligibility. When the SPEED Program Intake form is submitted the SPEED Office will connect you to schedule the pre-application meeting. If the project may require other permits, please complete the Permit Application Consultation Tool.
Reach out to the Regional Office contacts below with any permitting questions:
| Region | Assistant Regional Director | Phone Number | Email Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast | Dean Ritter | 570-826-2511 | dearitter@pa.gov |
| Southeast | Sachin Shankar | 484-250-5940 | sshankar@pa.gov |
| Northcentral | Dan Thetford | 570-327-3636 | dthetford@pa.gov |
| Southcentral | Andrea Blosser | 717-705-4929 | ablosser@pa.gov |
| Northwest | Staci Gustafson | 814-332-6935 | gustafson@pa.gov |
| Southwest | Kevin Halloran | 412-442-4105 | khalloran@pa.gov |
How to Apply for SPEED
Submit the SPEED Program Intake form. After the SPEED Program Intake form has been submitted, the SPEED Office will schedule the pre-application meeting.
How to Submit the Formal Permit Application
Once the SPEED Program Intake form is received and after the pre-application meeting and the pre-submission meeting, the applicant will submit the formal application to DEP.
DEP now accepts online payments. Please submit new public upload submissions here:
Benefits of using the form include:
- Lower costs for DEP and applicants – no paper and mailing envelopes
- Better efficiency for DEP staff; applications can more easily be moved between staff to prevent backlog
If files are too large during the application upload the DEP FTP site can be utilized. Please reach out to the SPEED Office for access at RA-EPSPEED@pa.gov
Qualified Professional Requirements
The PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is seeking to engage qualified professionals to review permits on an expedited basis as part of the SPEED Program. Below are the requirements to become a DEP-approved qualified professional:
- Licensed professional who may be necessary to review applications under the eligible permitting program.
- Has five years of experience of relevant permitting experience in PA.
- Holds all professional licenses as required by law.
- Has not been convicted of or pled guilty to a crime
- Has not had a professional license revoked by the state license board within the previous 10 years.
- Agrees to be responsible for the review costs if the review is deemed inadequate or untimely.
- Has not performed work for the applicant in the last 3 years.
- No other conflicts of interest according to the SPEED Act.
Invitation For Bid (IFB)
If you're interested in becoming a DEP-approved qualified professional, please review the invitations for bid (IFB) below:
Qualified Professional Recommended Training
SPEED Program Flow Chart
Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions and Answers
SPEED is a voluntary program established by law to provide an expedited review process for eligible permits. Applicants may participate in this program and in certain instances select a Qualified Professional to review their permit application or Notice of Intent (NOI). Act 54 of 2024
It involves a comprehensive evaluation of the permit application by a Qualified Professional(s), adherence to all legal and technical requirements, and submission of a recommendation for a final decision.
The following permits are eligible for the SPEED program:
- Chapter 127 State Only Air Quality Plan Approvals
- Chapter 102 Earth Disturbance Permits
- Individual NPDES Permit
- PAG-01 General NPDES Permit
- PAG-02 General NPDES Permit
- Erosion and Sediment Control Permit
- Erosion and Sediment Control General Permit (ESCGP-4)
- Individual Chapter 105 Water Obstruction and Encroachment Permits for project impacts eligible for coverage under the federal PASPGP-6 Permit or its successor.
- Dam Safety Permits
DEP will implement a phased rollout of the SPEED Program starting in the Summer of 2025. Chapter 102 Individual NPDES Permits will begin on June 30, 2025. Check the DEP website periodically for updates.
The IFB is currently open indefinitely. DEP may suspend the solicitation temporarily in the future if a high number of bid packages are submitted at any given time to allow for the processing of those bids. DEP also reserves the right to close, cancel, or re-issue the solicitation at any time if it is in the best interest of the Commonwealth.
A pre-application meeting is a discussion between DEP staff, a potential permit applicant, their consultant, and possibly other related agencies which is held before submitting a permit application, to discuss project plans and ensure compliance with regulations and procedures. It's a chance to gain an understanding of the permitting process and receive guidance on what's needed in the application. These meetings can help streamline the application process and prevent unnecessary delays. With regards to SPEED, the goal is not to create a separate pre-application meeting but rather use the normal pre-application meeting process to help share permitting options and to provide guidance, as possible.
Using pre-application meetings is particularly important for those permitting programs in SPEED that have the potential need for more than one QP for conducting a comprehensive review. In these situations, a pre-application meeting is highly recommended with the applicant prior to the pre-submission meeting. (For dam safety projects, pre-application meetings are mandatory.) Aside from discussing the technical details of the project, DEP staff will provide the applicant with feedback regarding the required specialty areas needed for a review. This information is also helpful to the SPEED Office to assist them in the QP selection process. This step is to happen well before the pre-submission meeting and does not need to wait until there are QP(s) contracted.
After a QP(s) is selected but prior to a QP(s) commencing their comprehensive review, a pre-submission meeting will be scheduled following the steps identified in the SPEED SOP. Unlike pre-application meetings, pre-submission meetings are specific to the SPEED Program and are mandatory for all permit types. Attendees for this meeting will include DEP Program staff, the QP(s), and the Applicant (including their design consultants). During the pre-submission meeting, discussion and feedback will ensue regarding the preliminary application previously submitted to DEP and shared with the QP. At a minimum, the following items should be discussed:
A. Project Details
B. Timelines
C. Communication and Deliverables
Specific to Chapter 105 Joint Permit and Dam Safety Permit Applications, the applicant should also come prepared to discuss the Screening Process for Federal Authorization (as described in the SPEED Act).
The SPEED Office Resource Account is RA-EPSPEED@pa.gov.
Yes. The SPEED Office has an email address specific to each program.
Ten (10) business days from the date of the request. If 10 or more QPs are available, The SPEED Office will provide the applicant with three (3) QPs to choose from. If less than 10 QPs are available, The SPEED Office will select the QP.
DEP/CCD will hold a formal pre-submission meeting with the applicant and the selected QP to discuss the application. A Notice of Formal Contract Approval will be sent to the QP but only after the pre-submission meeting has taken place, DEP has received the applicant’s payment for the amount quoted by the QP, and DEP/CCD has received the no-conflict certification from the QP.
The Act allows for up to two (2) tolling periods to address incomplete or technically deficient applications.
The SPEED Program is intended to provide interested applicants with an opportunity to have their permit applications reviewed on an expedited basis. The decision to allow an applicant additional time to address deficiencies will be made on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration the facts and the intent of the Program. If the applicant, CCD, or DEP believe that additional time will be necessary due to the nature of the project, they can agree upon an alternative timeline during the pre-submission meeting.
DEP/CCD conducts the final review based on the recommendations of the QP(s) and issues the permit decision.
Applicants
A pre-application meeting is strongly recommended to help determine eligibility. The pre-application meeting should be held after submitting the SPEED Program Intake form. The qualifying permits approved for the SPEED Program are listed below:
- Air Quality plan approvals (state-only) (Ch. 127)
- Earth Disturbance permits (Ch. 102)
- Individual Water Obstruction and Encroachment permits (Ch. 105)
- Dam Safety permits (Ch. 105)
- Oil & Gas Erosion and Sediment Control General Permit (ESCGP)
DEP is coordinating activities across the state to meet the implementation deadline. Permit Decision Guarantee and PAyback review timeframes will still apply to SPEED permits.
Submit the SPEED Program Intake form and the SPEED Office will connect to schedule a pre-application meeting. The pre-application meeting is strongly recommended to help determine eligibility.
While submitting the SPEED Program Intake form, select the appropriate permit type and finish completing the form. Click Submit at the bottom of the page.
Prior to submitting an application, submit the SPEED Program Intake form. After the SPEED Program Intake Form is submitted and the pre-application meeting is completed, applicants will first be required to submit a draft of their permit application through the SPEED Office Resource Account: RA-EPSPEED@pa.gov. and a mandatory pre-submission meeting will take place before official submittal. Valuable feedback will be provided at this meeting to fine tune the permit application. Applicants who choose to participate in SPEED will be required to upload their applications, NOIs, and attachments using DEP’s Public Upload with Electronic Payment (PUP) system.
Yes. DEP has established a secure online tracking system for permit applications. Please click Track a Permit to track the status of permit applications submitted to the Department of Environmental Protection.
The system will display current status, permit overview, processing timelines, application milestones, and contact information for DEP representatives.
Yes. Fees charged by DEP and the County Conservation Districts vary depending on the nature and type of permit application. DEP/CCD will collect from the applicant both the permit fees and the amount quoted by the QP to complete the review. The QP will not begin work until the quoted amount is collected by DEP.
Yes. The application fees are separate from the fees due to the QP for work performed.
The applicant can appeal DEP’s decision to the Environmental Hearing Board using the same process as any other permit. An applicant may also resubmit their application once all identified deficiencies have been addressed.
Qualified Professionals
QPs must hold all required professional licenses required by law and have a minimum of five (5) years of relevant permitting experience in Pennsylvania as identified in the SPEED Act and as further detailed in the Invitation for Bid (IFB) (links below). If accepted, the QP will be awarded a contract with DEP and placed on a statewide list. Prior to each assignment, the QP must certify the following: 1) they do not have any conflict of interest related to the applicant or the project to be permitted; and 2) they have not done work for the applicant within the last three years.
Yes. Interested QPs must provide a separate bid package in each program for which they qualify.
If requested by an applicant, QPs will review applications or NOIs and identify any deficiencies, assist in resolving deficiencies, and provide DEP with a fact sheet, or review memo for Air Quality, containing its recommendation, a draft public notice for publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and, when appropriate, draft comment responses and draft permit documents. DEP and/or CCDs will review the work of QPs, communicate application deficiencies to applicants, and take all final actions on applications and NOIs.
If an individual or business entity with one or more employees is interested in serving as a QP, DEP will review their credentials and determine whether they satisfy the program’s eligibility requirements. If you're interested in becoming a DEP-approved qualified professional, please review the invitations for bid (IFB) below:
Consulting firms can apply for SPEED, but they must list all of their QPs individually on the bid form. DEP will review bids and qualify individual QPs in each program covered under the SPEED Act. If you're interested in becoming a DEP-approved qualified professional, please review the invitations for bid (IFB) below:
Once awarded a contract, any changes to qualified professionals named in the original bid will need to be approved by DEP. DEP will only be reviewing the qualifications of the Qualified Professional.
Yes. You will receive correspondence by email.
Yes. DEP has developed recommended training modules under each respective permit type for QPs.
Login credentials need to be provided individually for each Qualified Professional. Complete the Qualified Professional Training Access Form to receive login credentials for the necessary training.
Follow the links below to access the training for the specified program.
Yes. QPs will need to execute a two-year contract.
QPs can review projects statewide.
Yes. QPs will be required to follow DEP established review procedures when reviewing applications and NOIs, including the completion of review reports, the preparation of draft deficiency letters with applicable regulatory citations, and the drafting of permit documents and conditions.
SPEED requires that QPs be responsible for their review costs if they do not provide an adequate or timely review.
Two (2) business days.
Three (3) business days.
DEP/CCD will communicate the specific QP review timeframe for each application in SPEED upfront during the QP selection process. Initial reviews must be completed within 20% of the overall review timeframe established for that specific authorization. Up to two additional deficiency response reviews are allowed in SPEED. Each additional QP review beyond the initial review must be completed within 10% of the overall review timeframe established for the same authorization.
Yes. The QP is making the decision to enroll in the program and which projects they will accept.
Yes.
Yes.
Individual QPs must certify to DEP that they have no conflict of interest before they can review an application.
The applicant cannot determine which QP will review the application; only DEP has that authority. Therefore, even if the QP contacts a potential applicant, it does not mean that they will be selected by DEP.
The QP will not receive payment until after the review is adequately completed and provided to DEP within the established review timeframe for that project. Upon receipt of an accepted Recommendation Report, DEP will remit payment to QP. Processing a payment from the Commonwealth may take 30-45 days.
The QP will not begin work until the quoted amount is collected by DEP from the applicant and DEP receives the Certification of No-Conflict. Once the Certification of No-Conflict, the permit fee and the amount quoted by the QP to review the application is received, the QP will then receive a Notice of Formal Contract Approval.
The QP should take staff availability into account when submitting their quote. The review timeframes are in business days to account for weekends and holidays. The Department cannot guarantee additional time will be granted simply because a lead reviewer is on paid leave.
The cost sheet is the hourly rate that will be charged for all projects. If selected to complete a permit review, the QP will need to provide a quote for the review that reflects the hourly rates provided in the cost sheet that was previously submitted.
No, the quote cannot contain a range for pricing. All quoted prices must align with a line-item rate provided in the Cost Sheet of your bid.