1 Pa. Code § 35.24
A protest is intended solely to alert the agency and the parties to a proceeding of the fact and nature of the objection of the protestant to the proposed agency action, other than a notice of proposed rulemaking (timely filed responses to notices of proposed rulemaking will be treated as "comments" and considered by the agency as such). The filing of a protest does not make the protestant a party to the proceeding; a separate petition to intervene is required for this purpose. Nor will a protest be considered by the agency as establishing the truth of the assertions of the protest. Where a timely protest is received prior to any final action by the agency in the matter, or designating a proceeding for formal hearing, the protest will be considered in determining what action is appropriate. If a hearing has been ordered, the protest will be placed into a public file associated with, but not part of, the record upon which the decision of the agency is made, and will be available for further exploration of the substantive matters raised therein by the agency staff and the other parties as may be appropriate.
1 Pa. Code § 35.24
This section cited in 12 Pa. Code §11.8 (relating to petitions for declaratory order); 34 Pa. Code §111.15 (relating to no other pleadings allowed); 34 Pa. Code §131.32 (relating to petitions except petitions for joinder and challenge proceedings); 34 Pa. Code 131.121 (relating to penalty proceedings initiated by a party); 40 Pa. Code §17.13 (relating to protests/intervention procedure); 52 Pa. Code §1003.54 (relating to protests); 55 Pa. Code §41.61 (relating to filing of petitions to intervene); 61 Pa. Code §703.2 (relating to petition content); and 67 Pa. Code §441.3 (relating to permit application procedure).