Director’s Dialogue

Environmental Quality Commission Meeting – August 2013

By: Chris Clipper

Date: August 7, 2013

 

DEQ is moving forward with a rulemaking for water quality permit fees. 

DEQ is proposing a 2.9 percent permit fee increase for most water quality permit types.  In 2004, an advisory committee recommended increasing permit fee revenue by no more than 3 percent each year to address increasing program costs.  This recommendation was adopted into law in 2005, and over the past several years the commission has adopted up-to-3 percent permit fee increases.  The fee increase would affect approximately 4,000 permit holders including a wide variety of government agencies, industries, small businesses and operators engaged in commercial and non-commercial activities. The fee increase would help maintain existing staffing levels and does not represent an increase in the size of permitting program.

DEQ estimates additional revenue of $145,000 would be generated this fiscal year with the fee increase. The budget for the fiscal year is approximately 9.4 million. Increased fees would be used to offset greater costs for services and supplies, staff salaries and benefits.

The rulemaking public comment period began July 22nd and ends this Friday, August 23rd.  DEQ is planning to propose rule adoption to the commission in October.