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DEQ.ASC
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1990-09-18
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The Department of Environmental Quality has never been the
Legislature's fair-haired child, and there was no love lost between the two
again this year. Had it not been for Gov. Buddy Roemer, who intervened at the
last minute, DEQ would have been held to a no-growth budget with no money for
any new programs. That would have slowed the department's campaign to clean
up Louisiana, which leads the nation in the total toxics it exhales into the
atmosphere, flushes into its rivers and streams and pumps into its ground.
But with Roemer's help the department ended up with $14.7 million in state
general funds, $5.3 million less than requested but $3.7 million more than it
had.
The increase brings the total DEQ staff to 824 and its overall budget
to $66.1 million. The bulk of that comes from the federal government and from
fees and fines generated by the department. "The Legislature just seemed to
abdicate. It was absolutely awful," said Eloise Wall, lobbyist for Citizens
for a Clean Environment. "Nothing was really accomplished. It was a very
disappointing session for everyone." Officials at DEQ said it could have been
worse and they are grateful for what they did get. "Overall it's not bad.
Given the difficulty we have in getting a budget through legislative
committees, our budget came out pretty well, mostly because of the governor's
help," said DEQ Secretary Dr. Paul Templet.
For the most part, the money the agency did receive will be spent
implementing an air toxics bill passed by the Legislature last year and
doubling the staff in the Inactive and Abandoned Hazardous Waste Sites
Division. The latter is particularly good news for Shreveport-Bossier where
two sites - Alexis Park Apartments and Lincoln Creosote - have popped up in
the last several months and where hazardous wastes brought construction work
on I-49 to a halt. Rep. Bruce Bolin, chairman of the Natural Resources
Committee, said what happened with the budget is natural.
"The appropriations committee has reached a point where they do not
place (DEQ) funding in as high a priority as it should be. I think it is
gradually getting there," he said. "They don't hear the environmental
problems I hear . . . When it comes to ranking priorities . . . it's just
normal to put them in lower priority. A clear message that emerged from the
session, Templet said, is that citizens must become more involved. "Money
alone won't give us a clean environment. But without it, I won't be able to
do the job," he said.
*** From The (Shreveport) Times, Shreveport, LA ***