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Two gubernatorial nominees testify for Idaho Board of Environmental Quality; committee delays vote
Summary
Lance Boylan of Kellogg and Dennis Lecombe of Idaho Falls testified before the Senate Health and Welfare Committee on nominations to the Board of Environmental Quality. Both described professional experience in environmental management and identified water and growth as core challenges; the committee deferred a vote to a later date.
Lance Boylan of Kellogg and Dennis Lecombe of Idaho Falls appeared before the Idaho Senate Health and Welfare Committee as gubernatorial nominees to the Board of Environmental Quality, and the committee said it will schedule a future vote on their confirmations.
Boylan, a nominee whose term was presented as commencing Dec. 1, 2024, and expiring July 1, 2028, described more than a decade of experience in environmental engineering and reclamation work, including roles overseeing closed operations and reclamation projects across multiple U.S. states and the Yukon Territory. “I’m both honored and humbled to be given the opportunity to be here before you today,” Boylan said, outlining work that included monitoring permitted discharges, stormwater management, tailings impoundment inspections, and design of water treatment and closure projects.
Dennis Lecombe, introduced to the committee as a registered geologist living in Idaho Falls and likewise presented for a term beginning Dec. 1, 2024, described more than 20 years in environmental management and emphasized collaborative, science-based regulation. “It’s a system of collaboration that both protects the environment and allows businesses to thrive,” Lecombe said, contrasting Idaho’s regulatory approach with more adversarial experiences in other states.
Both nominees told senators they view rapid population and economic growth as an overarching challenge for Idaho that stresses water supply, water quality and infrastructure. Boylan told the committee that growth “stresses our water systems, both in terms of supply, quality on the front end, as well as waste management on the back.” Lecombe described water reuse in industry as an example of local solutions, saying his plant reuses water multiple times before sending it to a recycling project.
Committee members questioned nominees about priorities and conflicts. Boylan disclosed employment with Hecla and said he had listed that relationship on his application. “I wanted to be fully transparent in my history, who I work for,” Boylan said. Lecombe named his employer and cited industry programs and education efforts—including work by the Potato Sustainability Alliance—as areas to support for better fertilizer and nutrient management.
The committee asked both nominees about early priorities if they join the Board. Boylan said he would prioritize reviewing proposed rules against statute and ensuring permit clarity; Lecombe said he would first learn the Board’s business and seek creative, less-prescriptive permit approaches that maintain compliance while allowing operational flexibility.
No confirmation votes were taken at the meeting; the committee chair said members will set and notify a future date for votes on the nominations.
The remarks occurred during the committee’s appointment hearings and question period; no formal action on the nominations was recorded at this session.
