Gov. Wolf announced Tuesday three technology initiatives undertaken as part of GO-TIME have been selected as finalists by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) for its 2017 recognition awards.

One of the initiatives was DEP’s mobile app for oil and gas inspections.

The department developed an iPad app that enables DEP staff to conduct electronic inspections of surface activities at oil and gas sites. Previously, staff completed paper forms and then entered information into a database.

Surface inspections include erosion and sedimentation, waterways encroachment, waste management, and spill cleanup.

The app makes the inspection process more accurate and efficient, thanks to improved data quality, easier photo documentation, elimination of duplicate entry, electronic supervisor approval, and other features. In addition, the number of oil and gas field inspections that DEP staff can perform yearly is increasing.

Electronic inspections also mean citizens can see surface inspection results sooner, since results enter the database and are posted on the O&G Oil and Gas mapping website within days, rather than weeks.

DEP is developing a similar app for its 32 oil and gas subsurface activities inspectors.

The app will be configured for other DEP programs as well, with the goal of equipping 350 inspectors by 2020, allowing the department to realize an estimated $3.6 million in productivity savings once implemented.

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[Posted: August 1, 2017]

8/7/2017