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Environmental Services warns of program cuts after House trims general funds; PFAS settlement and solid‑waste fee draw attention
Summary
Bob Scott, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, told the Senate Finance Committee that House cuts and policy insertions in HB 2 would shrink general‑fund support, shift costs to fees, and raise legal and programmatic questions about PFAS reimbursements, a proposed 5% dedicated‑fund administrative assessment, and elimination of the motor‑vehicle emissions program.
Bob Scott, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES), told the Senate Finance Committee the agency faces sizable biennial general‑fund reductions in the House phase of HB 2 and urged careful handling of several policy changes the House inserted into the budget.
Scott said DES has about "94 full time permanent staff" (testimony transcribed as "9 4 93"), runs unusual state services such as operating some wastewater facilities, and relies heavily on non‑general funds: he summarized that roughly "94% of our operating budgets [are] from outside sources," with fees and federal funds comprising most of the balance. Susan Carlson, DES budget staff, provided line‑item figures showing the agency’s base budget falling from about $387 million in FY25 to $336.9 million in FY26, with a governor’s‑phase addition of $55 million tied to an anticipated PFAS settlement that…
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