DEP has finalized guidance clarifying when facilities must immediately notify the agency about unauthorized discharges that could pollute waters of the Commonwealth, endanger downstream users, or damage property. The final guidance was published in the August 22 PA Bulletin after DEP received more than 1,100 public comments.
The final version clarifies which incidents trigger immediate notification under 25 Pa. Code Section 91.33(a), adds notification requirements for specific facilities including storage tanks, oil and gas wells, and solid waste facilities, and includes updated example scenarios with enhanced risk characterization factors. This came after years of industry pressure to weaken spill reporting rules, so it is worth knowing what reporting your group can now expect when something goes wrong upstream.
Read more at PA Environment Digest (August 23, 2026).
