The final environmental protection performance standards at oil and gas well sites rule making (chapters 78 and 78a) were sent to the state’s Environmental Quality Board (EQB) for review, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said Jan. 7.

The amendments to the oil and gas regulations address surface activities at well sites, and center on five core areas. They improve protection of water resources, add public resources considerations, protect public health and safety, address landowner concerns and enhance transparency and improve data management.

The revisions are the first since 2001 to update surface impacts of drilling and production activity. The rule making package has been in development since 2011.

DEP provided EQB with more than 2,800 pages of materials supporting the rule making, including the executive summary, the regulatory language, a fact sheet, the order and regulatory analysis form. The package also includes the comment and response document, in which all comments were addressed by DEP.

“These regulatory changes are balanced, incremental and appropriate; protecting public health while enabling responsible drilling to proceed,” said John Quigley, DEP’s secretary. “These rules are a long time coming -- more than four years -- and were written with an unprecedented amount of public participation and transparency. We’ve worked hard to ensure that the health and safety of our citizens are protected, and the needs of industry are being met.”

Quigley said there were 12 public hearings, two public comment periods and 20 meetings with the Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board and Conventional Oil and Gas Advisory Committee.

The Environmental Quality Board will now review the final-form rule making package, which will eventually be reviewed by the Independent Regulatory Review Commission.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is in Harrisburg.