The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality will ask the Oregon Legislature for $6.5 million in additional funding to address problems identified in a state audit last spring.
Auditors from the Oregon Secretary of State’s office found the agency is understaffed and underfunded to take on increasing demands, especially as climate change escalates.
DEQ is responsible for administering and enforcing the state’s laws pertaining to air, water and land quality, and for ensuring compliance with federal environmental regulations.
The Audits Division completed the audit in April 2024, following a request from the Senate Republican Caucus in September 2022, after former DEQ Director Richard Whitman abruptly resigned.
“The escalating effects of climate change and related impacts to environmental quality may outpace DEQ’s ability to provide a high level of service especially to some of Oregon’s more vulnerable communities,” auditors wrote. “Related challenges include the agency’s broad scope of work and a growing public demand for services paired with persistent funding limitations.”
For the 2023-25 biennium, DEQ has a budget of $754 million, with authorization for about 850 full-time staff. About 82% of the agency’s revenue comes from fees and about 6% from federal funds.
How DEQ plans to use the additional funds, if approved
The additional $6.5 million will address several problems highlighted in the audit by:
- Adding four new positions for emergency preparedness and response.
- Adding two environmental law specialists to support compliance and enforcement.
- Adding two communications positions to meet growing public demands for information about water quality conditions and agency programming.
- Adding positions to support work to address climate change and implement clean water plans.
- Adding funds for special contracts needed to advance equity and inclusion, and environmental justice initiatives.
The $6.5 million “represents requested investments to address some of the highest-priority needs at DEQ, specifically activities and programs traditionally supported by general funds,” DEQ spokesperson Lauren Wirtis said.
“Although we can’t say it’s sufficient to fully address all of the department’s needs, it would be a significant investment in areas of DEQ’s budget that have not seen investment in recent biennia,” Wirtis said.
“This is especially true for areas of work that are crucial to maintain the integrity and effectiveness of DEQ’s environmental programming; like DEQ’s laboratory, compliance and enforcement, and communications and outreach,” she said.
The request is among nearly two dozen budget packages approved by the Environmental Quality Commission at its meeting Tuesday. The EQC is a five-member panel, appointed by the governor, which serves as DEQ’s policy and rulemaking board.
Among other budget proposals:
- Adding three new positions in the Cleaner Air Oregon program, which closed a loophole in state law that allowed polluters to emit dangerous levels of toxic chemicals while operating legally.
- Adding three new positions in the water quality program to support housing projects that require water quality permitting or other certification.
- Adding three new positions to support strategic planning, and authorizing a dedicated tribal liaison position.
DEQ reports progress on several projects
Despite the audit findings, DEQ has been making progress on a number of projects, Wirtis said. Those include:
- Working to reestablish the Climate Protection Program , which sets a declining cap on greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels in Oregon.
- Launching new programs established by the Oregon Legislature, including seismic stability requirements for bulk fuel storage terminals and an extended producer responsibility program for mattresses.
- Securing a $200 million federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grant. The grant will support 12 measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, buildings and waste materials identified in Oregon’s Priority Climate Action Plan .
- Continuing to migrate DEQ’s information system to a new environmental data management system.
- Continuing to make progress on long-standing work including adoption of clean water plans, issuing air and water quality permits, and implementation of the Recycling Modernization Act, adopted by the Legislature in 2021.
The budget requests now go to Gov. Tina Kotek, who will prepare a proposed budget for the Oregon Legislature to consider during the 2025 session.
The Legislature then will adopt a two-year budget, covering July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2027.
Tracy Loew covers the environment at the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions and tips: tloew@statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6779. Follow her on Twitter at @Tracy_Loew
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: DEQ asks for $6.5 million to address problems found in state audit
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