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KDHE Division of Environment seeks short-term stabilization funding, requests new water-implementation dollars
Summary
KDHE's Division of Environment requested short-term general-fund support and multiple water-implementation enhancements, including a $350,000 hazardous-waste fund stabilization request and $1,000,000 proposals for contamination remediation and watershed work.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment's Division of Environment presented its FY2025 and FY2026 budget analysis to the Legislative Budget Committee and requested short-term general fund support and multiple water-focused enhancements.
Luke Drury, senior fiscal analyst, summarized the Division's FY2025 adjustments, including $5.6 million in unspent State Water Plan Fund monies rolling from FY2024 to FY2025 and a supplemental request for hazardous-waste fund stabilization. Drury said the Legislative Budget Committee had deleted the hazardous-waste supplemental in the global adjustment and advised the committee he would stand for questions.
Deputy Director Kate Gleason described Division programs (air, remediation, waste management, field services and water) and presented three SGF enhancement requests the agency submitted: a $350,000 hazardous-waste fund stabilization request, a $425,000 one-time request for the Kansas Environmental Information Management System (KEIMS) implementation, and $210,000 to continue livestock waste-management staffing. Gleason told the committee the hazardous-waste fee fund balance has declined and the requested SGF bridge would allow rule making and fee adjustments to proceed: “That fund is or that program is funded half by an EPA grant which has not gone up in years…and the other half…is fee funds.”
Water-implementation requests and federal funds: Gleason also described water-implementation enhancement proposals not all initially in the agency's base request. The Division requested funding for rural and private groundwater protection ($500,000), increased watershed (RAPS) work ($1,000,000), contamination remediation targeted at orphan sites ($1,000,000), and district engineer positions to support regionalization and infrastructure planning. The agency reported approximately 144 orphan contaminated sites on its list that may require remediation. Gleason said the Division has pursued federal grants for PFAS and other emerging contaminants and noted a $10,000,000 ARPA award originally planned to be spent across FY2024 and FY2025 was nearly fully expended in FY2024.
Committee questions and points of clarification: Representatives asked whether hazardous-waste stabilization could be covered from other rolling funds and whether the hazardous-waste request would carry into FY2026 (the agency requested the FY2026 SGF continuation). Committee members asked for specifics on the Brownfields program and on the scope of contamination remediation (Gleason clarified contamination work typically addresses soil and groundwater and prioritized protection of drinking water sources). Representative Carlin requested a plain-language explanation of PFAS; Gleason described PFAS as persistent chemicals linked to cancer and reproductive effects and said the Division is preparing a PFAS work plan.
Ending: The Division concluded its presentation and the committee directed staff to follow up on fund-source permissibility and to continue review of the agency's enhancement requests. Luke Drury and KDHE staff indicated they would provide further detail in subsequent briefings.
