Environment committee approves supplemental transfer to buy air monitors for hydrogen sulfide hotspots

The Environment and Natural Resources Committee voted unanimously to approve a supplemental language provision (part SS) that authorizes the Department of Environmental Protection to transfer personal-services savings to capital to buy a package of air-monitoring instruments.

The work session on the supplemental request centered on equipment the department said is needed to monitor ambient hydrogen sulfide and replace aging units. Committee staff described the purchase list as two ozone calibrators, one ozone monitor, one continuous real-time air-quality monitor, one zero-air generator, two hydrogen-sulfide analyzers, two trace-level dilution calibrators and two data loggers. The department told the committee the units will be deployed to monitor hydrogen sulfide near Juniper Ridge Landfill and the Rumford Nine Dragons mill in response to repeated community complaints about odors and potential health effects.

Representative An asked whether the department typically uses salary savings for such capital purchases; staff and the commissioner said the transfers would draw from salary savings tied to a vacancy rate that the department reported as about 10%, and would not affect hiring plans. "The department has told us before that they have about a 10% vacancy rate," committee staff said, explaining the funding source. Commissioner Melanie Loism was present and available to answer technical questions about the equipment.

After brief discussion the committee moved and seconded a motion to approve the budget as presented. Clerk Ashley Malbury recorded the vote and the committee reported the supplemental approval to the Appropriations and Financial Affairs committee by the required deadline.

The committee directed staff to file the required report-back documentation; staff said a cover memo would be prepared and that the report must be submitted by the following day. No fiscal note specific to the equipment purchase was presented in the work session; staff and the department said the funding would come from internal salary savings and any required paperwork will be submitted to appropriations.