Senate Bill 2024 would add one PFAS chemist and fund new DEQ laboratory; lawmakers seek details on fees and grants

The Senate appropriations subcommittee on human resources on Feb. 24 reviewed Senate Bill 2024, the budget request for the Department of Environmental Quality, including authority for one new chemist position and funding tied to a new chemistry laboratory to test emerging contaminants such as PFAS and PFOS.

The committee heard that the proposed 1 FTE chemist would staff a new emerging-contaminants lab that can test at parts-per-trillion levels and that initial startup and equipment costs are substantial. "As we move to the new laboratory, then we would establish that emerging contaminant lab," said Dave Glott, who identified himself to the committee as a DEQ staff member. DEQ staff told the committee the position is intended to be funded primarily by special fees collected for PFAS testing rather than general funds.

Why it matters: Senators pressed for clarity about where authority and revenue would come from if testing demand lags, how much of the lab costs are one-time versus ongoing, and how much of DEQ’s grant totals are federal passthroughs. The committee did not vote on the bill and asked DEQ staff for additional documentation before final action.

Most important details

- Position and purpose: The budget includes authority for one new FTE…