DEP restores Beaver County Conservation District permitting power
INDEPENDENCE TWP. – A once-troubled conservation district is again authorized to issue certain construction permits two years after environmental regulators revoked those privileges.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection on April 26 restored the Beaver County Conservation District’s Chapter 102 delegation, allowing the agency to oversee erosion and sediment control practices on earth-moving developments. The agreement gives local districts power to uphold particular environmental laws through permitting and inspections.
The DEP in August 2019 rescinded such power after an audit found the conservation district did not properly review permit applications, perform inspections, train staff or keep records. In a rare move, the DEP seized control of all erosion and sedimentation functions. Conservation district board members later voted to discontinue the Chapter 105 permitting program related to waterway modifications, but rescinded that vote before it could be executed.