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Senate panel restores DEQ mining fund extension, clears Senate Bill 71
Summary
The Senate Natural Resources Committee removed Senate Bill 71 from the table and voted to advance the measure that extends Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) special revenue funding used to operate the state mining program; senators pressed DEQ director for details on funding and program continuity.
The Senate Natural Resources Committee voted to remove Senate Bill 71 from the table and then approved the bill, which continues use of Natural Resource Operations (NRO) special revenue funds for the Department of Environmental Quality’s mining program.
The bill drew questions about whether the measure would raise taxes and whether the DEQ had surplus funds. Director Nowakowski of the Department of Environmental Quality told the committee "no. We do not have a surplus at the DEQ. I sure wish we did, though." She said NRO funding is used to operate the agency’s mining bureau and that the bill would extend existing funding while the state considers a separate mining-fees proposal.
Why it matters: the NRO funds backfill a portion of mining-bureau operations and permit issuance; without an extension, DEQ staff…
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