(Harrisburg) -- The Department of Environmental Protection is reorganizing itself. The DEP secretary says the changes will make the agency a more streamlined organization. The shakeup centralizes the department that regulates natural gas drilling. The new Office of Oil and Gas will report to an assistant secretary in Harrisburg, rather than DEP’s regional offices. Secretary Michael Krancer says this will lead to more consistency in the way DEP regulates drilling, though he insists things won’t change too much, on the ground-level. "The regional interface is still going to be there. The same people are going to be there. The same inspectors are going to be there," he says. "Really, they’re not going to notice any new faces." Krancer is creating several new offices and bureaus, to oversee brownfield and acid mine drainage cleanup, among other tasks. He’s also shifting the priority of a department dedicated to alternative energy. The new office will now focus on pollution prevention. For more on natural gas drilling and energy issues in Pennsylvania, check out StateImpact Pennsylvania, a collaborative effort among witf, NPR and WHYY in Philadelphia.










