DEP Newsroom

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania State senate today voted to confirm Governor Josh Shapiro’s nomination of Rich Negrin as Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. In this role, Secretary Negrin leads the Department’s mission to protect Pennsylvania's air, land and water from pollution and to provide for the health and safety of its citizens through a cleaner environment, while increasing permitting efficiency to better serve Pennsylvanians.

 

“I am deeply honored to serve the Commonwealth as Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection,” said Rich Negrin, Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection. “Governor Shapiro has worked tirelessly to assemble a dynamic, diverse and modern team to lead our Commonwealth and protect our environment. Under the leadership of Governor Shapiro, we are dedicated to ensuring all Pennsylvanians will  enjoy their right to drinkable water, breathable air and  the preservation of the many values of our environment.

 

Secretary Negrin, the first Latino Secretary of DEP, brings more than 35 years of public and private sector leadership to the Department. Negrin’s extensive management track record includes his service as City Manager & Deputy Mayor of Administration & Coordination of the City of Philadelphia.  His past roles as a General Counsel, Vice President of Regulatory Policy and Strategy allow him to bring private sector best practices into the public sector, including an increased focus on customer service excellence.  

 

Since being nominated by Governor Shapiro, Secretary Negrin has worked with the Governor, and other agencies to quickly respond to and assess the impact of the East Palestine Derailment, and to secure the health and wellbeing of Pennsylvanians impacted by the derailment. Secretary Negrin also led the response to the chemical spill in the Delaware River working quickly to ensure drinking water was safe and hold polluters accountable. He has worked with the US EPA to secure millions of dollars to fight climate change with funds from the Inflation Reduction Act, and has brought in significant funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to cap orphaned and abandoned wells.

 

Most recently, Secretary Negrin spearheaded the DEP consent order and agreement (COA) with Shell Chemicals Appalachia, LLC, for exceeding total emission limitations for air contaminants at its petrochemical facility in Beaver County. Shell agreed to make repairs to reduce future exceedances and to pay one of the largest civil penalties in Pennsylvania history, nearly $10 million, to DEP and to benefit the environment, health, and quality of life in the community near the facility. The settlement also included a first of its kind $5 million community fund and a public process to benefit the impacted community. The DEP Office of Environmental Justice will collaborate with local leaders on this effort to ensure this funding benefits local communities.

 

Secretary Negrin is also spearheading new efforts at DEP, including the launch of the 2023 Permit Plan, the expansion of environmental justice efforts statewide, and the creation of a new Center of Environmental Excellence to drive operational excellence in the department. 

 

For more information on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, please visit the website or follow DEP on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.