A new Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) mobile app for oil and gas site inspections is among the state’s three finalists for the National Association of State Chief Information Officers 2017 recognition awards.
The new iPad app allows DEP staff to conduct electronic inspections of surface activities onsite rather than completing paper forms that need to be entered manually into a database. Not only does the app make the inspection process more accurate and efficient, it also increases the number of oil and gas field inspections that staff can perform annually. Citizens are also able to access surface inspection results in days rather than weeks.
DEP is developing a similar app for its 32 oil and gas sub-surface activities inspectors with the goal of equipping 350 inspectors by 2020 and saving the department an estimated $3.5 million.
