Fiscal Highlights - May 2015
Department of Environmental Quality Significant Changes -
Brian Wikle ( PDF)Executive Director Amanda Smith, Executive Director of the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), announced that she will step down effective May 22, 2015 following six years of service to the State of Utah in that position. Governor Gary Herbert nominated Alan Matheson, his current Environmental Advisor, to head the agency. Mr. Matheson's appointment is subject to confirmation by the Senate. Reorganization Senate Bill 244, Department of Environmental Quality Modifications, enacted in the 2015 General Session consolidated the Division of Radiation Control (DRC) and the Division of Solid and Hazardous Waste (DSHW) into the new Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control (DWMRC) effective FY 2016. Senate Bill 3, the final appropriations act of the session, transferred all FY 2016 appropriations from DRC and DSHW to the new division. As shown in the following figure, S.B. 3 split appropriations to the Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control between two appropriation units that mirror the discontinued divisions.  If this arrangement was to continue, the agency would need to prepare budgets for both appropriation units. To improve efficiency of budgeting, the agency intends to transfer all funding for DWMRC to a single appropriation unit at the start of FY 2016, and it will request that beginning in the FY 2017 budget cycle appropriations be made to a single appropriation unit for the division. DEQ expects that the consolidation will improve efficiency by reducing duplicate processes and positions that existed independently in DRC and DSHW. Work units and employees of the discontinued divisions will be integrated leading to cost savings. Two positions will be eliminated in the X-ray inspection program within DWMRC. Reductions will be accomplished through retirements and reassignment of retained x-ray inspection staff to open positions in the division. In anticipation of the reduction in x-ray inspection staff, the Legislature reduced ongoing General Fund appropriations to DEQ by $243,400. Air quality funding changes The Legislature appropriated $2.97 million for efforts to improve air quality as follows:
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Fiscal Analyst
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