FY 2014-15 ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY BUDGET S.B. 766 (CR-1): CONFERENCE REPORT
|
$517,168,800 |
|
|
|
|
Items Included by the Senate and House |
|
|
1. Recycling Initiative. The Governor, House, and Senate included GF/GP funding and 3.0 FTEs for a new program that would be focused on increasing residential recycling. The program would focus on marketing, outreach, and the development of markets for recycled goods. |
1,000,000 |
|
2. Water Quality and Use Initiative. The Governor, House, and Senate included GF/GP funding for this new program. The Initiative would provide support for the Wetlands program, beach monitoring, water use conflict resolution, statewide strategy development and permitting. |
3,977,200 |
|
3. Drinking Water Revolving Fund Match. The Governor, House, and Senate included additional GF/GP funds to use as Federal match, which would allow the Department to access $12.5 million in additional Federal funds. |
2,500,000 |
|
4. Strategic Water Quality Initiatives Loans. The Governor, House, and Senate removed this line-item. $97.0 million for SWQIF grants and loans authorization was retained. |
(9,600,000) |
|
5. Environmental Cleanup and Redevelopment Program. The Governor, House, and Senate reduced the program from $30.0 million to $15.0 million, based on needs of the program. |
(15,000,000) |
|
6. Economic Adjustments. Includes a negative $824,400 Gross and a negative $112,600 GF/GP for OPEB and $1,244,300 Gross and a negative $300 GF/GP for other economic adjustments. |
419,900 |
|
7. Other Changes. Other changes include technical restricted fund revenue adjustments, the reduction of overstated restricted fund authorization, a $236,300 EPPF to GF/GP fund shift in the Office of Env. Assistance, appropriation of Refined Petroleum Fund revenues formerly used in Treasury, and removal of FY 2013-14 one-time appropriations. |
(1,774,100) |
|
Conference Agreement on Items of Difference |
|
|
8. Hazardous Waste Management Program. The Governor and Senate included GF/GP funding to replace one-time funding and a fee increase proposal from last year that was not successful. The House and Conference increased funding for the program by $400,000 using the Environmental Pollution Prevention Fund (EPPF). |
400,000 |
|
9. Compliance Assistance. The Governor and Senate included $1.0M GF/GP funding to increase compliance assistance for the regulated community. The House included $250,000. The Conference increased the program by $1.0M, and also reduced EPPF appropriations for the program by $1.9M and replaced it with GF/GP. |
1,000,000 |
|
10. Electronic Document Management One-Time Funding. The Governor, Senate, and Conference included one-time funding for an initiative to convert the large numbers of paper files maintained by the Department into an electronic format and to make commonly-requested files available online. The House included $1.25M. |
2,500,000 |
|
11. Mancelona TCE Plume Cleanup. The Senate included a placeholder for this project. The Conference did not include this item. |
0 |
|
12. Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) Cleanup/Staff Fund Shifts. The Governor and Senate used Refined Petroleum Fund revenue to replace $1.7M in funds for DEQ cleanup staff that were no longer available, resulting in a reduction of $100,000 in funds available for cleanups. The House and Conference made similar changes, but did not replace all restricted funds for staff, increasing funds for cleanups by $400,000. |
0 |
|
($14,577,000) |
|
|
FY 2014-15 Conference Report Ongoing/One-Time Gross Appropriation............................ |
$502,591,800 |
|
Amount Over/(Under) GF/GP Target: $0 |
|
FY 2014-15 ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY BUDGET BOILERPLATE HIGHLIGHTS
|
Changes from FY 2013-14 Year-to-Date: |
|
Items Included by the Senate and House |
|
1. Small Business Rules. The House and Senate retained a section prohibiting rules that have a disproportionate impact on small businesses. (Sec. 213) |
|
2. Customer Satisfaction Report. The House and Senate retained a report on the customer satisfaction program. (Sec. 228) |
|
3. Legacy Costs in Budget. The House and Senate included a new section detailing legacy costs that are included as part of the FY 2014-15 DEQ budget. (Sec. 234) |
|
4. RPF Repayment. The House and Senate retained a section establishing intent that $70.0M borrowed from the Refined Petroleum Fund in FY 2006-07 be repaid. (Sec. 305) |
|
5. Sodium in Groundwater Discharge. The House and Senate removed a prohibition on the establishment or enforcement of limits on the amount of sodium in groundwater discharge. (CY Sec. 407) |
|
6. Lake St. Clair Metropark Beach Monitoring. The House and Senate removed a $100,000 earmark for water quality monitoring at this beach. (CY Sec. 408) |
|
Conference Agreement on Items of Difference |
|
7. Performance Benchmarks. The House included a new section requiring that performance benchmarks accompany any new proposals or increases for programs. The Conference included this section, but modified it to include only increases or new programs of $500,000 or more. (Sec. 204) |
|
8. FTE Reports. The Governor removed two reports on the number of funded FTEs in the Department. The Senate and Conference retained the Sec. 223 report. The House retained both. (Sec. 223 & 224 of House Bill) |
|
9. No RFPs before RFIs. The Conference removed a section requiring a request for information or request for qualification before issuing request for proposals on projects exceeding $5.0 million. (Sec. 233 of House Bill) |
|
10. Aquatic Nuisance Control (ANC) Program. The Governor removed and House, Senate, and Conference retained a section requiring $700,000 and 5.0 FTEs to be allocated to this program. (Sec. 401) |
|
11. Water Quality and Use Initiative Report. The House included a new section requiring a report on the use of funds for this program. The Conference retained this report. (Sec. 402) |
|
12. Drug and Chemical Disposal. The Governor, Senate, and Conference removed a section encouraging the Department to work with other agencies to maintain and expand programs for the safe disposal of drugs and chemicals. (Sec. 602 of House Bill) |
|
13. EPPF Revenue Shortfall. The Governor and Senate removed a section requiring EPPF appropriations to be used for the Hazardous Waste Management Program as a priority if EPPF revenues are not sufficient to cover all appropriations of the fund. The House and Conference retained this section. (Sec. 604) |
|
14. Air Quality Grants. The House included a new section requiring the Department to fund a $1.0M in grants to businesses financially harmed by the 1995 EPA "once in, always in" policy. The Conference did not include this section. (Sec. 501 of House Bill) |
|
15. Air Quality Penalties. The House included a new section prohibiting the Department from issuing additional penalties for violations committed by a facility's previous owner, unless compelled by a legal agreement. The Conference included this section. (Sec. 502) |
|
16. State Septic Code. The House included a section requiring a study on the establishment of a statewide septic code. The Conference did not include this item. (Sec. 601 of House Bill) |
|
17. Stormwater, Asset Management, and Wastewater (SAW) Grants Report. The House and Senate included a new section requiring a report on all previously awarded SAW grants. The Conference included a modified version of this section. (Sec. 603) |
Date Completed: 6-9-14 Fiscal Analyst: Josh Sefton
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.