Lance Boylan, nominee to Idaho Board of Environmental Quality, outlines water and permitting priorities; committee defers vote

Lance Boylan, an environmental engineer from Kellogg, told the Idaho Senate Health and Welfare Committee on Oct. 15 that he would focus on permit clarity and alignment of rules with statute if confirmed to the Idaho Board of Environmental Quality, and the committee said it would defer a vote on his appointment to a future date.

Boylan, introduced as the governor’s nominee to the board for a term commencing Dec. 1, 2024, and expiring July 1, 2028, described more than a decade of environmental work in Idaho and other states and emphasized experience with mine reclamation, water treatment and permits. "It's long been a dream of mine to serve this great state in any capacity where I can do so competently," he said. He told senators he earned a bachelor of science in environmental engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, obtained an EIT license in Colorado, and has held a professional environmental engineering license since 2020.

Why it matters: The Board of Environmental Quality advises on rules and permitting that affect water quality, mining reclamation and industrial compliance in Idaho. Board members help shape how the department and regulated entities implement statute and rules.

In his testimony, Boylan described technical work at the Lucky Friday Mine and later roles managing closed-operations reclamation projects across multiple states and the Yukon Territory, including design and construction of water treatment facilities and closure of tailings impoundments. He told the committee he has overseen monitoring and reporting under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System and hazardous-waste tracking under state and federal rules.

Committee members asked about priorities and challenges. Senator Shippey asked what Boylan considered the biggest environmental challenge in Idaho; Boylan said he would not call any single item a "threat" but pointed to the state's rapid growth, which stresses water supply, water quality and aging infrastructure. On agricultural issues, he cited NPDES discharge requirements for cattle operations and the need to address scarce water resources and phosphate management but said the topic was not his strongest area and that he would need to learn more.

Asked how he would balance industry and environmental concerns, Boylan said: "We're all interested in pretty much the same goals. We all want clean water, we want to do the right thing, it needs to be available." He also disclosed his current employment with Hecla, calling it full transparency and noting the company is an operator in the state. When senators raised the potential for conflict, Boylan said he wanted to be transparent and would address conflicts as required.

The committee did not vote on the nomination. Vice Chair Senator Vierke told Boylan the committee would "save this for our vote for a future date" and that staff would notify him of the scheduled appointment vote.

The committee hearing included follow-up questions from Senators Wintrow and Zieterville about how Boylan would prioritize and pursue board work; Boylan said his approach would be to review proposed rules against statute and to ensure permits are clear in intent and aligned with law. He described regulatory certainty and clarity as priorities for protecting communities and giving regulated entities predictable expectations.

The committee announced no immediate vote; a date for the Board of Environmental Quality appointment vote will be set and communicated to the nominee.