An Act amending the act of June 22, 1937 (P.L.1987, No.394), known as The Clean Streams Law, in general provisions and public policy, providing for general permit modernization.

PRINTER'S NO. 2345
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1884
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY KRUPA, STENDER, PICKETT, OLSOMMER, BANTA, CUTLER,
FINK, O'NEAL, SHAFFER, JAMES, ROWE, COOK, ZIMMERMAN, WALSH,
T. JONES AND HAMM, SEPTEMBER 26, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE
PROTECTION, SEPTEMBER 29, 2025
AN ACT
Amending the act of June 22, 1937 (P.L.1987, No.394), entitled
"An act to preserve and improve the purity of the waters of
the Commonwealth for the protection of public health, animal
and aquatic life, and for industrial consumption, and
recreation; empowering and directing the creation of
indebtedness or the issuing of non-debt revenue bonds by
political subdivisions to provide works to abate pollution;
providing protection of water supply and water quality;
providing for the jurisdiction of courts in the enforcement
thereof; providing additional remedies for abating pollution
of waters; imposing certain penalties; repealing certain
acts; regulating discharges of sewage and industrial wastes;
regulating the operation of mines and regulating the impact
of mining upon water quality, supply and quantity; placing
responsibilities upon landowners and land occupiers and to
maintain primary jurisdiction over surface coal mining in
Pennsylvania," in general provisions and public policy,
providing for general permit modernization.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of June 22, 1937 (P.L.1987, No.394),
known as The Clean Streams Law, is amended by adding a section
to read:
Section 9. General Permit Modernization.--(a) Within one
year of the effective date of this subsection, the department
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shall establish a centralized online application system for
general permits under 25 Pa. Code Ch. 105 Subch. L (relating to
general permits). The system shall include, at a minimum, all of
the following:
(1) A unified interface for the electronic submission of all
of the following for an application for a general permit under
25 Pa. Code Ch. 105 Subch. L:
(i) Project descriptions.
(ii) Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory clearances.
(iii) Geotagged photographs.
(iv) Site-specific data.
(2) Functionality for geographic information system mapping,
permit tracking and mobile accessibility.
(b) The department shall retain a paper-based application
process for applications for general permits under 25 Pa. Code
Ch. 105 Subch. L and may not eliminate the availability of such
process.
(c) Within one year of the effective date of this
subsection, the department shall develop and make publicly
available standardized drawings, processes, procedures and
instructions for a general permit under 25 Pa. Code Ch. 105
Subch. L. The standardized drawings, processes, procedures and
instructions shall include, as applicable, the following:
(1) Construction specifications.
(2) Descriptions of permissible activities.
(3) Limits of disturbance.
(4) Conditions of enforcement.
(5) Standard erosion and sediment control plans.
(d) An applicant for a general permit under 25 Pa. Code Ch.
105 Subch. L whose proposed project does not conform to the
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standardized drawings and instructions under subsection (c) may
submit a custom application for independent review by the
department.
(e) Within one year of the effective date of this
subsection, the department shall develop and integrate into the
application process for a general permit under 25 Pa. Code Ch.
105 Subch. L, a permit-specific checklist for each general
permit.
(f) Within one year of the effective date of this
subsection, the department shall establish an automated system
for the issuance of notices to proceed. The system shall notify
the applicant for a general permit under 25 Pa. Code Ch. 105
Subch. L, relevant regulatory agencies and county conservation
districts upon all of the following:
(1) Submission of a complete application for a general
permit under 25 Pa. Code Ch. 105 Subch. L.
(2) Receipt of all necessary Pennsylvania Natural Diversity
Inventory clearances for the general permit. The Pennsylvania
Natural Diversity Inventory shall be available and built into
the system.
(3) Payment of applicable fees for the general permit.
(4) Notice of intent approval, sent to all necessary
agencies, departments and government entities, which shall:
(i) Be automatic and electronic.
(ii) Provide a receipt and full electronic copy of the
entire application, payment and all other required supporting
documents.
(g) After an applicant for a general permit under 25 Pa.
Code Ch. 105 Subch. L receives a notice to proceed, the
applicant may begin the activities to be authorized under the
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general permit.
(h) Within one year of the effective date of this
subsection, the department shall establish and implement uniform
standards for the enforcement and inspection of activities
conducted under general permits issued in accordance with 25 Pa.
Code Ch. 105 Subch. L. The standards shall include all of the
following:
(1) Consistent enforcement procedures across all regional
offices of the department.
(2) A centralized digital dashboard for use by department
inspectors to access general permit data, inspection schedules
and compliance records.
(3) Training for all department personnel responsible for
inspections on the administration of uniform enforcement
procedures.
(i) Beginning two years after the effective date of this
subsection and annually thereafter, the department shall submit
a report to the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee of
the Senate and the Environmental and Natural Resource Protection
Committee of the House of Representatives. The report shall
include all of the following:
(1) A summary of progress in implementing the requirements
of this section.
(2) Usage statistics for the centralized online application
system established under subsection (a).
(3) The number of general permits issued under 25 Pa. Code
Ch. 105 Subch. L, disaggregated by permit type.
(4) Trends in compliance and enforcement.
(5) Any recommendations for further regulatory or statutory
improvements.
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Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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