Corbett Praises Krancer, Says He Will Be A Talent To Private Sector

March 26, 2013 | 9:39 PM

Marie Cusick/StateImpact Pennsylvania

Corbett praised Krancer’s work at the Department of Environmental Protection, “I think he has given me great service and given the people of Pennsylvania great service.”

In the wake of his Department of Environmental Protection Secretary’s resignation, Governor Tom Corbett says he’s not concerned about Michael Krancer’s decision to go work for the energy industry he has been charged with regulating.

The governor doesn’t believe Krancer’s resignation is an example of the “revolving door” between government and industry.

“If you look at government, you get people out of the private sector, and they go back to the private sector,” says Corbett. “He has talents that are going to be able to be used all across the country. I think he has given me great service and given the people of Pennsylvania great service.”

Krancer is going back to work for the Philadelphia law firm, Blank Rome, where he was a partner during the 1990s. He will chair the firm’s Energy, Petrochemcial, and Natural Resources Practice and represent major energy industry clients.

Corbett was in Lycoming County Tuesday afternoon to showcase how the Act 13 impact fees from gas drilling are being spent. He says he pushed for the fee over a severance tax so the money would stay local.

“If Harrisburg can have the opportunity to get tax money, it’s not necessarily coming back [to communities] here.”

The governor toured the Lycoming County Airport, which is undergoing a major renovation, partly funded by $1 million in Act 13 impact fees from Marcellus Shale gas drilling.

Although Krancer has been a controversial figure at the DEP, Corbett says he’s pleased with the job he did and with Pennsylvania’s regulation of the gas industry.

“Our environmental regulations, when it comes to the production of unconventional wells of natural gas are the toughest in the nation.”

Krancer will step down April 15.Corbett says his administration has begun a search for somebody to replace him. In the meantime, Corbett’s deputy chief of staff, Christopher Abruzzo, will fill in as DEP Secretary. Abruzzo will also continue to serve on Corbett’s staff.