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Senate passes bill to create separate "Department of Environmental Quality"

Courtesy ND Legislature

The state Senate has voted to take the environmental functions now in the state Health Department, and put them in a new state agency – the Department of Environmental Quality.

It wouldn’t happen until January,2019 – and only if federal agencies sign off on the new department. It would affect about 170 people who now work for the division. And it would become a Cabinet agency – meaning the Governor would appoint the agency’s director.

"This will not change the department's mission one bit," said Sen. Kelly Armstrong (R-Dickinson), the measure's sponsor. "The Environmental Section of the Health Department will simply become a stand alone agency."

Sen. Erin Oban (D-Bismarck) raised concerns about making the director subject to a Governor’s appointment.

"I want the person in this job to be in a position where they owe no allegiance to the Governor, but rather to the environment, for which they keep watch," Oban said. "I don't want them to be asked to turn a blind eye, or to say or do something that's politically convenient in either direction of politics."

The bill passed 27 to 17 – and now goes to the House for further work.

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