MS HB1604

Appropriates $12,351,451 from the State General Fund and $257,266,909 from special funds for the Department of Environmental Quality for fiscal year 2023 (July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023)

Authorizes 267 permanent positions and 193 time-limited positions for the department

Allocates $625,000 for IT security and infrastructure upgrades, $4,490,000 for Clean Water Grant matching funds, and $1,000,000 for contamination remediation projects related to the 2020 EnPro settlement

Establishes performance targets including 75% of counties meeting air quality standards, 56% of waters meeting acceptable quality, 60% underground storage tank compliance, and 80% of high hazard dams having emergency action plans

Authorizes up to $250,000 from the Pollution Emergency Fund for legal division environmental protection activities and $200,000 for dam and reservoir inspections