Has a company applied for permits in my community?

You can search for permit applications submitted in your area several ways: PADEP's eFACTs, Pennsylvania Bulletin, FERC, and Act 14 notices.

PADEP eFACTs

You can search for permit applications in your county and municipality on PADEP’s eFacts. The database will then allow you to access a list of every permit in your municipality. Many of these may not have to do with oil and gas development. All types of permits -- waste management, road and bridge repair, etc. -- are also included.

In order to decipher whether a permit is related to oil and gas development, keep an eye out for a few things. Often times fracked wells are preceded by the letter “H” in a permit which stands for horizontal drilling.

Also, look out for words like

Well pad
Freshwater impoundment
ESGP-2, ESCGP, Expedited
Pipeline
Unit
Compressor Station
Operator/applicant names with the word “energy”
Any of the permit titles listed in our permit guide

Visit PA DEP’s eFacts website to create an account and sign up for email notifications through the eNotice system. Here you can access 1) if a permit has been applied for and 2) the status of the application.

Pennsylvania Bulletin

Some fracking infrastructure permit applications are first noticed in the PA Bulletin, the Commonwealth's official publication for rule making, that can sometimes be subject to public comment. The latest publication is available every Friday at 9 a.m. EDT. The PA Bulletin publishes notices from all Commonwealth departments including the Department of Environmental Protection.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

FERC regulates interstate natural gas pipelines, or those that span more than one state. Monitor the FERC docket for major pipelines projects and compressor stations. eSubscription is the online notification system for FERC filings.

NOTE: The FERC eSubscription system does not send emails as regularly as DEP's E-Notice due to its larger scope (national projects). However, if you do have more specific information about a particular project (filing date, docket number or project name -- i.e., Mariner East), this tool can be useful. We recommend not depending on this notification solely, but rather to complement other databases.

Act 14 Notice

Act 14 Notification letters are a part of the DEP’s permit review process and are required by law. They are documents sent by an operator to both the host municipality and county where any proposed infrastructure is located.

A notification letter must also be sent to adjacent municipalities. These letters are crucial because they allow local elected officials to make comments and raise concerns regarding any conflicts with the proposed plans and existing community features or plans.

Local officials generally only have 30 days to respond to these notifications. The DEP has stated that they rely on the input of local officials when evaluating permits.

If municipal officials fail to respond within the given timeframe, the DEP is likely to assume that there are no questions, comments, or concerns and are likely to approve and issue the permits in question. Unfortunately, these vastly-important documents often times simply get filed away once delivered. Therefore, it is wise for citizens to make regular contact with their municipal officials to confirm the receipt of any new Act 14 letters. By doing so, you also get the chance to build a rapport with your elected officials which can be beneficial in many ways.

Some groups -- including the Environmental Integrity Project -- are pushing for standardized language in Act 14 notifications as well as an extended response time (60-90 days) to allow local elected officials the opportunity to review proposed plans, refer to experts, review any existing comprehensive plans or unique community features that may be in conflict with the proposed action, and to gather input from the local residents.

Timeline for response: Timeline for response depends on how long each permit takes to be approved or denied. See permit definitions for more details.

Who to connect with:

Municipal elected officials, other community members, regional DEP office