Watch: Environmental Agencies Struggling With Tens of Millions in State Funding Cuts

• Joe Wertz
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Joe Wertz was a reporter and managing editor for StateImpact Oklahoma from 2011-2019. He reported on energy and environment issues for national NPR audiences and other national outlets. He previously worked as a managing editor, assistant editor and staff reporter at several major Oklahoma newspapers and studied journalism at the University of Central Oklahoma.

Oklahoma’s four primary environmental agencies have lost more than $15 million in state appropriations and tens of millions of dollars in legislatively directed reductions to revolving funds, OETA reports.

The cuts are forcing the Corporation Commission, Conservation Commission, Department of Environmental Quality and Water Resources Board to limit, delay or cancel programs or services designed to regulate pollution and remove environmental dangers, according to the Oklahoma News Report piece by Bob Sands and photojournalist Aaron Byrd.

Projects being impacted include plugging of long abandoned oil wells, removal of thousands of tires from illegal dumping grounds, clean-up projects to remove hazardous chemicals and grants that help low income home owners improve their septic tank systems.