KDHE seeks funds for operator exam rewrite and Burton chloride plume response; says reappropriations already encumbered
Loading...
Summary
KDHE told the budget committee several water-related reappropriations are encumbered and requested targeted FY2027 funding for an operator exam rewrite ($300,000) and staged cleanup work for a 25–30 square‑mile chloride plume near Burton, including a $2.5 million SWPF request toward a larger $19 million remediation project.
Officials from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s Division of Environment told the Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Committee they have encumbered reappropriated State Water Plan Fund dollars and presented several FY2027 enhancement requests, including a rewrite of the certified operator exam and remediation planning for a large chloride plume.
Luke Drury, senior fiscal analyst for the committee, opened the Division of Environment summary and told members the division’s approved FY2026 total is about $86.6 million (including general fund and State Water Plan Fund components). He highlighted major trust and fee funds, then flagged specific reappropriations and one‑time adjustments that the special committee cut and the agency is asking to restore.
Kate Gleason, deputy secretary for environment at KDHE, told the committee most of the reappropriated funds she listed are already encumbered for work underway — for example, contamination remediation contracts, local environmental protection program (LEP) pass‑throughs to local sanitarians, and watershed health activities tied to a federal RCPP match. "That money has all been encumbered," Gleason said of contamination remediation funds and noted the agency has moved on a number of orphan sites.
On enhancements, KDHE asked for $300,000 from the general fund to update and validate drinking-water operator certification exams (the exam rewrite is presented as a one‑time cost) and for a $2.5 million SWPF ask to advance work on the Equus Beds/Burton chloride plume cleanup. Gleason described the Burton plume as "a 25 to 30 square mile contaminated site" resulting from historic oil‑field brine and said the prevailing strategy being explored is to pipe plume-affected groundwater to Wichita’s aquifer storage and recharge facility and blend it into municipal supply at rates that would remain below hazardous thresholds. "We've been talking to Wichita and GMD to get this project moving forward," she said, noting the total project price could be about $19 million and would likely be staged across years.
KDHE also described other enhancement requests for FY2027: $500,000 for water program management operations (a stopgap while fee rulemaking proceeds), district office technical assistance ($500,000 SWPF and 4 FTEs), and nonpoint‑source program automation to speed data handling. The agency noted Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Fund spending is increasing to meet a spending deadline, and the Kansas Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund is seeing growing loan demand.
Committee members asked for clarification on encumbrances, timing, and whether local partners (for example groundwater management districts) might share costs. Gleason said some local partners have been in discussions but could not commit funding during the hearing.
The committee did not act on appropriations during the hearing and will consider the requests during upcoming work sessions.
