KDHE requests funding for operator exam rewrite, water remediation and local programs during budget hearing
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Summary
KDHE budget staff told the Agriculture and Natural Resources committee that the agency seeks targeted funding to rewrite the certified operator exam ($300,000), stage remediation of the Burton chloride plume near the Equus Beds, and use settlement and federal funds for water projects and contamination remediation. Members pressed KDHE on costs, local partners and program metrics.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment told the Agriculture and Natural Resources committee that it needs targeted funding to update operator certification and to advance water‑quality projects across the state.
Deputy Secretary Kate Gleason and Legislative Research fiscal analyst Luke Drury presented KDHE’s revised budget and enhancement requests, highlighting a $300,000 request to rewrite the certified drinking‑water operator exam, settlement and federal grant spending from the Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Fund and EPA grants, and several State Water Plan Fund enhancements for remediation and local assistance projects.
The budget presentation matters to communities that depend on rural drinking water systems and to cities that would partner on large remediation projects: KDHE said some funds would support operator workforce development, septic and private well assistance and multi‑year contamination remediation at orphan sites.
Drury told the committee the agency’s FY2026 revised request includes a $3,000,000 increase from the Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Fund to bring that FY2026 total to $5,000,000, and an increase of $2,200,000 for the Kansas Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund (to $4,000,000). He also noted one‑time adjustments carried into FY2027, including a $425,000 reduction tied to the KEEMs (Kansas Environmental Information Management System) implementation that was treated as a non‑recurring cost.
Gleason said KDHE’s top priority in the package is the certified operator exam rewrite: "The certified operator test has been a...issue for several years. The test is very outdated," she told the committee, asking for $300,000 to contract for exam validation and rewriting because federal (EPA) approval will be required for substantive changes. She said a rewritten exam could enlarge the pool of qualified candidates and help systems that struggle to recruit certified operators.
The hearing also focused on the Equus Beds and the Burton chloride plume near Burton, Kansas. Drury listed a State Water Plan Fund enhancement for Equus Beds remediation in the budget materials; the amount appears variably in the record (Drury referenced $9,900,000 as an enhancement line, while Gleason described the broader project estimate as roughly $19,900,000). Gleason said the governor’s recommended enhancement is $2,480,000 and that KDHE would use that amount to reassess staging options and seek local partners: "This is a very, large plume with very high concentrations of sodium. I think there's 1,900,000 tons of sodium in the aquifer in this area," she said, and explained the project could be staged so initial work fits the smaller appropriation.
On contamination remediation, KDHE reported an enhancement request of $1,900,000 for the orphan sites program and said recent one‑time appropriations allowed the agency to more than double the number of known orphan sites addressed to nearly 80. Gleason said most reappropriations are encumbered or in contracting and listed local environmental protection (LEP) funding and drinking water protection funds intended for septic replacements, private well testing and source‑protection work.
Committee members pressed KDHE on specifics. Senator Titus asked whether a prior proviso restricting use of drones to investigate concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) violations remained in place; Drury said the proviso had been a one‑year measure in a prior session and would require affirmative action to reinstate. On the certified operator test, Gleason said adopting a national test would not cost KDHE but could raise applicant costs to about $150 per applicant unless statutory fee caps or funding changed. Senators also asked for metrics on how many contaminated sites exist, how long they’ve been on the list, and how quickly KDHE is addressing them; Gleason said KDHE tracks such metrics and will provide data to the committee.
KDHE’s presentation also described smaller adjustments: an increase in the underground petroleum storage tank release fund to support larger projects, a decrease in Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Fund expenditures as federal grants end, and a net small increase in agency FTE counts offset by recommended deletions from the special budget committee.
With time expired, the committee did not take votes on KDHE budget items. The chair polled members about meeting after the floor session and planned a public follow‑up at 3:30 p.m. to finish the Kansas water office budget; no formal committee actions were adopted during this session.
Next steps: KDHE will supply additional requested information (detailed Volkswagen trust drawdown amounts, remediation metrics and permit processing times), and the committee will reconvene to complete the water office review and make recommendations.
