Department of Environtmental Quality
The Department of Environmental Quality has its roots in the Division of Sanitary Engineering, which was part of the reorganized Department of Health in 1923. Early responsibilities included regulation of swimming pools, public water supplies, milk inspection, and sewage disposal systems. The Division of Sanitary Engineering became the Environmental Health Section, still under the Department of Health, which was designated the primary environmental agency in the State in 1995 (S.L. 1995, Ch. 244). Inspection of swimming pools and milk inspections were transferred to other state entities.
In 2017, the legislature passed Senate Bill 2327, which created the Department of Environmental Quality and transferred the environmental responsibilities handled by the Department of Health to the new Department before the start of the sixty-fifth legislative session (S.L. 2017, Ch. 199).
The mission of the NDDEQ is, "To conserve and protect the quality of North Dakota's air, land and water resources following science and the law." The Vision Statement of the Department is, "A sustainable, high quality environment for current and future generations." ("Get to Know your NDDEQ")
The Department is organized into five divisions: Air Quality, Chemistry, Municipal Facilities, Waste Management, and Water Quality. The Chemistry Division maintains a laboratory that conducts thousands of tests annually on thousands of samples submitted of water, soil, and other materials.
The Environmental Advisory Review Council meets to discuss the operations, budget, and other business that affects the Department.
SOURCES:
ND Session Laws, 2017.
"Get to Know Your NDDEQ" North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality publication.
"Environmental Review Advisory Council" Office of the Director, Department of Environmental Quality, website, https://deq.nd.gov/Director/ERAC/, accessed September 16, 2020.
Address:
612 East Boulevard Ave.
Bismarck, North Dakota 58505
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Hours:
State Museum and Store: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. M-F; Sat. & Sun. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
We are closed New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.
State Archives: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. M-F, except state holidays; 2nd Sat. of each month, 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Appointments are recommended. To schedule an appointment, please contact us at 701.328.2091 or archives@nd.gov.
State Historical Society offices: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. M-F, except state holidays.
Contact Us:
phone: 701.328.2666
email: history@nd.gov
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