Reorganization

Seven existing DEP programs will now fall under a single unit,

the Division of Land Restoration

Ken Ellison, current director for the Division of Waste Management, will now oversee three offices under the new Division of Land Restoration. The offices include abandoned mine lands and reclamation; environmental remediation and special reclamation. The OER administers multiple cleanup programs including brownfields, leaking underground storage tanks, hazardous waste, landfill closure and assistance, pollution prevention and open dump, and voluntary remediation.

"All of those offices address environmental damages from former industrial and natural resources extraction activities," said Timmermeyer. "Putting them under one division will bring together the DEP professionals that have remediation expertise and bring restoration functions together."