DEQ seeks staffing for rising subdivision workload; meth cleanup program remains active
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Summary
The Department of Environmental Quality told the subcommittee it needs additional engineering and compliance staff to keep up with subdivision permitting and that its meth cleanup web page and program remain active, with proposed legislation to expand coverage to other dangerous drugs.
Director Sonya Nowakowski told the Section C subcommittee that the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has grown permitting and reclamation workloads driven by residential subdivision activity and mine reclamation needs, and requested continued funding for positions the agency considers critical to manage that workload.
Nowakowski said the agency added several positions in the engineering, wastewater and mining compliance areas and that the subcommittee approved nine new positions for mine reclamation. She explained that three FTE previously funded one‑time only for subdivisions were needed to keep pace with the ongoing workload and that each subdivision file translates to dozens of new lots and units. "A 27 files means essentially 391 new units and 281 new lots," she said, explaining the permitting workload behind the requests.
Representative Cafaro asked whether DEQ still runs the methamphetamine cleanup program and whether the public registry of contaminated residential properties remains on the agency website. Nowakowski said the program continues, that Senator Ricky has introduced legislation to expand the program to include other dangerous drugs, and that the contaminated‑sites web page is still posted. She said DEQ would check and update the web content if necessary.
The subcommittee adopted present‑law and personal‑services adjustments and moved several one‑time positions into HB2 to make them permanent. The committee's adopted HB2 recommendation for DEQ included operating increases for permitting and regulatory support and minor increases tied to legal support and board operations.
Nowakowski closed by thanking the committee and noting that DEQ staff are available to answer questions about the agency's 10 budget decision packages (DPs).