Alaskas Department of Environmental Conservation

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Alaskas Department of Environmental Conservation

• AN OVERVIEW

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WHY DOES DEC EXIST?DEC was created on July
1, 1971 In Juneau, Anchorage, and Fairbanks27
employees

• WHY?
• 1970 Clean Air Act, EPA
• 1972
• Water Pollution Control Act
• Coastal Zone Management Act
• 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act
• And.Alaskas issues.

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• 1971 - Back then
• Most villages, many municipalities had inadequate
  sewage treatment.
• Disease outbreaks occurred through drinking water
  systems.
• Open burning occurred at many dumps.
• Federal facilities were not required to comply
  with state solid waste laws.
• Placer mining caused much water pollution in
  Alaskas streams.
• TAPS was coming! Rules and a strategy for
  controlling impacts were needed.

• Teepee burners belched smoke from downtown
  Ketchikan and Wrangell.
• Pulp mills and other industries, discharged
  untreated waste.
• North Slope oil companies disposed of oily
  drilling muds into water.

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Our Mission

• To conserve, improve, and protect Alaskas
  natural resources and environment and control
  water, land, and air pollution, in order to
  enhance the health, safety, and welfare of the
  people of the state and their overall economic
  and social well being.

Health
Air
Land
Water
Safety
Welfare
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How we fulfill our mission

• We have 5 divisions, 500 employees in 13
  locations. They address
• Information, Administrative and Enforcement
• Air Quality
• Water Quality
• Environmental Health
• Spill Prevention and Response

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Five Divisions
Commissioners Office Larry Hartig.
Commissioner Dan Easton, Deputy Commissioner
Information and Administrative Services
Spill Prevention Response
Air Quality
Environmental Health
Water
Offshore Ice Island Construction
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• Approx 500 staff
• 13 offices

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DEC Programs Overview
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Environmental Health Division
Environmental Health Division
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ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTHPrograms Services

• Drinking Water
• Solid Waste
• Food Safety
• State Veterinarian
• Pesticides

• Public water systems plan review/ compliance
• Solid waste handling and disposal
• Food worker cards, restaurants
• Laboratory services
• Fish monitoring
• Seafood, milk producers
• Bed breakfasts, tattoo parlors, pools spas
  compliance
• Animal import permit
• Pesticide registration, permits

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Spill Prevention and Response Division
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SPILL PREVENTION AND RESPONSEPrograms Services

• Prevention and Emergency Response
• Industry Preparedness
• Contaminated Sites
• Response Fund Administration

• Spill reporting
• Emergency response
• Financial responsibility, prevention
  contingency plans, inspections
• Practice drills for oil industry
• Fuel storage tanks
• Historic contamination cleanup
• Recovery states response cost from spillers

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Water Division
Red Dog Mine, Northwest Alaska
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WATER DIVISIONPrograms Services

• Water Quality Standards
• Alaska Clean Water Actions
• Wastewater Discharge
• Cruise ships
• Non-Point source PollutionControl
• Municipal Grants and Loans, Village Safe Water
  Program

• Water regulations
• Waterbody protection, restoration
• Septic systems, on-site sewage disposal
• Industry wastewater discharge permits
• Cruise ships water complaints, ocean rangers
• Stormwater pollution control
• Municipal water wastewater systems

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Air Quality Division
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AIR QUALITYPrograms Services

• Air Non-Point and Mobile Sources
• Air Permits
• Air monitoring

• Vehicle inspection/ maintenance
• Vehicle-related concerns
• Switch to ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel
• Permits to operate
• Open burning permits
• Air advisories, wildfires
• Cruise ship, industry smoke complaints

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Information Administrative Services Division
Anchorage
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INFORMATION AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICESPrograms
Services

• Environmental Crimes
• Travel
• Computers
• Purchasing

• Enforcement
• Accounts payable/receivables
• Budget

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Climate change

• Commissioner Larry Hartig chairs the Governor's
  Climate Change Subcabinet, developing a strategy
  for responding to causes and effects of global
  warming.

Shishmaref
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Where you can find us.
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My role at DEC
Division/Program