SRBC Issues Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
On September 21, 2016, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking/Notice of Public Hearings in the Federal Register. The proposed regulations would affect application requirements for project approval and renewal, standards for the review of projects (including consumptive use mitigation proposals), and procedures for hearings and enforcement actions. There are also several proposed definitional changes. For example, the SRBC has proposed a new definition of “production fluids”, a term used throughout SRBC regulations applicable to unconventional natural gas projects.
Supplemental information about the rulemaking is available on the SRBC’s webpage. The SRBC has also scheduled informational webinars in October (11th and 17th), and four public hearings on the rulemaking later this year. Comments are due on the proposed rulemaking on or before January 30, 2017.
In connection with the proposed rulemaking the SRBC also issued a draft Consumptive Use Mitigation Policy, which describes the SRBC’s interpretation of proposed changes to consumptive use mitigation requirements. Written comments on the policy are due by January 6, 2017.