Powers and Duties
The Environmental Quality Board (EQB) was established by Act 275 of 1970, Section 1920-A of the Administrative Code of April 9, 1929, as amended, to do the following:
- Develop a Master Environmental Plan for the commonwealth.
- Formulate, adopt and promulgate rules and regulations as necessary to accomplish the Department of Environmental Protection's work.
- Have power to subpoena witnesses and records.
- Review reports and advise the department on matters of policy.
Board Composition (20 members)
11 Members
Chairperson, Secretary of Environmental Protection
Secretary of Health
Secretary of Community and Economic Development
Secretary of Transportation
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Labor & Industry
Executive Director of Fish and Boat Commission
Executive Director of Game Commission
Chairperson of Public Utility Commission
Executive Director of Historical & Museum Commission
Executive Director of the State Planning Board
5 Members - Citizens Advisory Council
(Elected annually by members of Citizens Advisory Council)
4 Members - General Assembly - one to be appointed by each of the following:
President Pro Tempore of Senate
Senate Minority Leader
Speaker of House of Representatives
House Minority Leader
Term
State Agency Members - consistent with term of agency appointment;
House and Senate Members - at the pleasure of the legislative leaders;
Citizens Advisory Council Members - elected annually by members of the Citizens Advisory Council.
Voting
All Board Members may designate alternates with voting privileges in accordance with Sections 213 and 471 of the Administrative Code. Eight members of the Board constitute a quorum.
Meetings
Meetings are held the second Tuesday of every month in the Rachel Carson State Office Building (RCSOB), 400 Market St., Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Special meetings and hearings are held at the discretion of the EQB. Meetings are open to the public; however, public statements are not permitted at the EQB meetings. EQB public hearings may be scheduled to solicit public comments on proposed regulations.
Chairperson
Honorable Jessica Shirley, Acting Secretary of Environmental Protection
16th Floor, Rachel Carson State Office Building
400 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
jesshirley@pa.gov
Board Members and Alternates:
| Department of Health | |
|---|---|
| Member | Alternate |
| Honorable Debra Bogen Secretary of Health Room 802, Health & Welfare Building Harrisburg, PA 17120 dbogen@pa.gov | Kristen Rodack Department of Health Health & Welfare Building Harrisburg, PA 17120 krodack@pa.gov |
| Department of Community and Economic Development | |
| Member | Alternate |
| Honorable Frederick Siger Secretary of Community and Economic Development 400 North Street Keystone Building, 4th Floor Harrisburg, PA 17120 fsiger@pa.gov | Adam Walters Department of Community and Economic Development 400 North Street Keystone Building, 4th Floor Harrisburg, PA 17120 adwalters@pa.gov |
| Department of Transportation | |
| Member | Alternate |
| Honorable Michael Carroll Secretary of Transportation Keystone Building 8th Floor West Harrisburg, PA 17120 mbcarroll@pa.gov | Shane Rice Department of Transportation Keystone Building 8th Floor West Harrisburg, PA 17120 shanerice@pa.gov |
| Department of Agriculture | |
| Member | Alternate |
| Honorable Russell Redding Secretary of Agriculture Room 211, Agriculture Building 2301 North Cameron Street Harrisburg, PA 17110 rredding@pa.gov | Gregory Hostetter Executive Deputy Secretary Department of Agriculture Room 211, Agriculture Building 2301 North Cameron Street Harrisburg, PA 17110 grhostette@pa.gov |
| Department of Labor and Industry | |
| Member | Alternate |
| Honorable Nancy Walker Secretary of Labor & Industry Room 1700, Labor & Industry Building 7th & Forster Streets Harrisburg, PA 17120 nancywalker@pa.gov | Scott Weiant Department of Labor & Industry Labor & Industry Building 7th & Forster Streets Harrisburg, PA 17120 sweiant@pa.gov |
| Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission | |
| Member | Alternate |
| Honorable Tim Schaeffer Executive Director PA Fish & Boat Commission 1601 Elmerton Avenue P.O. Box 67000 Harrisburg, PA 17106-7000 tischaeffe@pa.gov | Heather Smiles Chief, Division of Enviro. Services PA Fish & Boat Commission 595 E Rolling Ridge Dr Bellefonte, PA 16823 hsmiles@pa.gov |
| Pennsylvania Game Commission | |
| Member | Alternate |
| Honorable Stephen Smith Executive Director PA Game Commission 2001 Elmerton Avenue Harrisburg, PA 17110-9797 stephensmi@pa.gov | Tim Haydt, Chief Division of Environmental Planning & Habitat Protection PA Game Commission 2001 Elmerton Avenue Harrisburg, PA 17110-9797 thaydt@pa.gov |
| Public Utility Commission | |
| Member | Alternate |
| Honorable Stephen M. DeFrank Chairman Public Utility Commission Keystone Building, 3rd Floor 400 North Street Harrisburg, PA 17105 smd@pa.gov | Kathryn Zerfuss Commissioner Public Utility Commission Keystone Building 400 North Street Harrisburg, PA 17120 katzerfuss@pa.gov |
| Historical and Museum Commission | |
| Member | Alternate |
| Honorable Andrea Bakewell Lowery Executive Director Historical and Museum Commission Room 501, William Penn Memorial Museum Building, 330 North Street Harrisburg, PA 17120 anlowery@pa.gov | Joseph Lauver Chief, Division of Architecture and Preservation Historical and Museum Commission Keystone Building 400 North Street, 2nd Floor Harrisburg, PA 17120 jlauver@pa.gov |
| Governor's Office of Policy and Planning The Director of the Governor's Policy Office serves as Executive Director of the State Planning Board, which holds a seat on the EQB. | |
| Member | Alternate |
| Honorable Akbar Hossain Secretary Governor's Office of Planning and Policy Room 238, Main Capitol Building Harrisburg, PA 17120 akhossain@pa.gov | Jacob Finkel Deputy Secretary Governor's Office of Planning and Policy 508E Main Capitol Building Harrisburg, PA 17120 jafinkel@pa.gov |
| Citizens Advisory Council | |
| Member | Alternate |
| Robert J. Barkanic, P.E. 2139 Rolling Meadow Drive Macungie, PA 18062 rjbarkanic@outlook.com | |
| Trisha Salvia Chesapeake Bay Foundation 1426 North 3rd Street, Suite 220 Harrisburg, PA 17102 tsalvia@cbf.org | William C. Fink 5714 Raytown road Hopewell, PA 16650 wfink@cvff.com |
| John St. Clair 617 Hiner Road Homer City, PA 15748 jstclair18@gmail.com | |
| Thaddeus K. Stevens PO Box 61 Gaines, PA 16921 thad@sylvanglen.com | |
| John Walliser, VP PA Environmental Council 2124 Penn Avenue 2nd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222 jwalliser@pecpa.org | |
| General Assembly | |
| Member | Alternate |
| Honorable Gene Yaw Senate of Pennsylvania Republican Chair, Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee Senate Post Office Box 203023 Harrisburg, PA 17120-3023 gyaw@pasen.gov | Matt Osenbach Executive Director Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee (R) Senate Post Office Box 203023 Harrisburg, PA 17120-3023 mosenbach@pasen.gov |
| Honorable Carolyn Comitta Senate of Pennsylvania Democratic Chair, Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee Senate Post Office Box 203019 Harrisburg, PA 17120-3019 senatorcomitta@pasenate.com | Emily Eyster Executive Director Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee (D) Senate Post Office Box 203019 Harrisburg, PA 17120-3019 emily.eyster@pasenate.com |
| Honorable Martin T. Causer Pennsylvania House of Representatives Republican Chair, House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee House Post Office Box 202012 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2012 mcauser@pahousegop.com | Glendon D. King Executive Director House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee (R) House Post Office Box 202012 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2012 gking@pahousegop.com |
| The Honorable Greg Vitali Pennsylvania House of Representatives Democratic Chair, House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee House Post Office Box 202166 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2166 gvitali@pahouse.net | Evan Franzese-Peterson Executive Director House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee (D) House Post Office Box 202166 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2166 efranzese@pahouse.net |
DEP Staff
Robert "Bo" Reiley, Bureau of Regulatory Counsel
High Garst, Acting Director, Policy Office
Board Contact Information
Environmental Quality Board
16th Floor, RCSOB
P.O. Box 8477
Harrisburg, PA 17105-8477
(717) 783-8727