MS HB1523

Appropriates $9,980,940 from the State General Fund and $259,632,652 from special funds to the Department of Environmental Quality for fiscal year 2017-2018.

Authorizes 274 permanent full-time positions and 236 time-limited full-time positions for the department.

Establishes performance measures and targets across pollution control, land and water quality, geology, and administrative services with reporting requirements to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.

Allocates up to $250,000 from the Pollution Emergency Fund for environmental protection legal activities, $100,000 for household hazardous waste collection grants, and $200,000 for dam and reservoir inspections.

Grants the Executive Director authority to transfer cash between special funds, requires economic viability assessments for certain permit applications, and extends loan repayment periods for Hancock County water pollution control loans by up to 10 years.