| New Hampshire & DES | Year | Nationwide & Federal Gov’t |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | First Earth Day, April 22 | |
| 1970 | Clean Air Act enacted | |
| Winnipesaukee River Basin Project established under RSA 147-G | 1972 | Federal Water Pollution Control Amendment of 1972 |
| 1974 | Safe Drinking Water Act enacted | |
| 1976 | Passage of the Toxic Substance Control Act | |
| 1976 | Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA) | |
| 1977 | Clean Water Act enacted; major amendments to the Federal Water Pollution Control Amendment of 1972 | |
| Franklin wastewater treatment facility began operations | 1979 | |
| Septic system installers & designers require licensure | 1980 | Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation & Liability Act (CERCLA), also called "Superfund, enacted |
| Solid Waste Management Act | 1981 | |
| Hazardous Waste Management Act | 1981 | |
| All water well contractors licensed & water wells inventoried | 1983 | |
| Volunteer Lake Assessment Program founded | 1985 | |
| RSA 21-O passed, consolidating several state agencies into a newly created DES | 1986 | Safe Drinking Water Act Amendment of 1986 |
| 1987 | ||
| January 1 – DES becomes a state department. Alden Howard, commissioner. Four divisions: Air Resources, Waste Management, Water Resources, & Water Supply Pollution Control | Water Quality Act of 1987; amendments to the Clean Water Act | |
| Wetlands Board administratively attached to DES | ||
| 1988 | ||
| Rivers Program created | ||
| Weed Watchers Program started | ||
| Legislation passed protecting shorelands | ||
| Oil Discharge & Disposal Cleanup Fund (ODD Fund) established | ||
| 1989 | ||
| Commissioner Howard retires | ||
| Two Superfund sites added; 15 total in state | ||
| Waste Management Div. reorganizes | ||
| Bob Varney appointed commissioner | ||
| Major municipal recycling initiative launched | ||
| Asbestos Rules adopted, July 1 | ||
“A Banner Year for Solid Waste Management”
|
||
| 1990 | ||
| Wellhead Protection Program begins | ||
| Drought Plan Released | Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 | |
| Acid Precipitation Control Act passed, Nov. | Ozone Transport Commission formed | |
| State Revolving Loan Fund program initiated | ||
| 1991 | ||
| First Shoreland Protection Act passed | ||
| Senate bill passed establishing a study committee for expedited environmental permit process | ||
| Groundwater Protection Act enacted | ||
| Air toxic releases dropped 37% in one year | ||
| Stage II vapor recovery equip. required in southern/central NH | ||
| Underground storage tank program receives full authorization; only 3rd one in nation. | ||
| “33/50” pollution prevention incentive grants available for NH businesses | ||
| Interactive Lake Ecology book first published | ||
| Portsmouth completes major wastewater treatment upgrade at Pierce Island | ||
| 1992 | ||
| DES awarded “P2 Incentives for States” competitive grant, which was used to create the NH P2 Program | ||
| DES publishes comprehensive “Guidebook for Environmental Permits in NH” | ||
| DES implements a departmental GIS system | ||
| Full-time Lakes Coordinator hired | ||
| NH adopts enhanced auto emission testing (committed to Clean Air Act) | US Army Corp of Engineers endorses DES’s Wetlands Program | |
| 1993 | ||
| Youth Camp Rules updated | ||
| Gunstock Sewer Connector added to WRBP | ||
| Stage I & II gasoline vapor recovery systems expanded to reduce ground-level ozone | ||
| Robert Varney becomes new commissioner | ||
| 3 State funds created for reimbursing cleanup costs of petroleum spills | ||
| WMD identifies buried asbestos sites in Nashua & Hudson for clean up. | ||
| New aquifer mapping program approved | ||
| First DES Strategic Plan unveiled | ||
| 1994 | ||
| DES-UNH P2 Intern Partnership formed | ||
| Sludge/biosolids hot topics | ||
| Nearly $7 million in new state water pollution control grants awarded to 18 cities & towns | ||
| NH shows dramatic improvement in river water quality | ||
| State grant program created for municipal unlined landfill closures | ||
| Comprehensive Shoreland Protection Act beefed-up. | NH 1 of 4 states in US to receive federal recognition for its comprehensive groundwater protection | |
| Comparative Risk Project | ||
| New NOx RACT Rule helps protect air quality | ||
| 1995 | ||
| DES Ombudsman position created for Small Business Technical Assistance Program | ||
| NH/DES receives authorization from EPA to implement its municipal solid waste landfill permitting program and its hazardous waste program, which includes oversight of non-Superfund sites | ||
| Wetlands Board & Wetlands Bureau offices move to 29 Hazen Drive. | ||
| First Annual P2 Awards presented | ||
| DES selected to lead regional effort on environmental technology | ||
| State begins funding of municipal DIY used oil collections | ||
| Innovative hazardous waste inspection program draws national and regional attention | ||
| DES adopts new Title V Rules to meet Clean Air Act requirements | ||
| Green Team formed; leading by example | ||
| NH & Maine work jointly with paper mills to check pollution at the source | ||
| Air Resources launches Ozone hotline | ||
| New State grant monies to close landfills | ||
| DES launches Web site. | ||
| 1996 | ||
| 53 public water systems receive $17 million | SDWA Amendments of 1996 | |
| State adopts temporary sludge rules | ||
| Lakes management criteria for NH State Agencies | ||
| Dam breach in Alton | ||
| DES Coastal Region offices consolidate at Pease | ||
| Beede Waste Oil added to NPL list | ||
| Programs from Water Resources and Water Supply & Pollution Control divisions merge as the Water Division; Groundwater Protection Bureau moves to Waste Management Division | National Dam Safety Act of 1996 | |
| New Air Rules establish key trading & banking activities under state’s emissions reduction | Federal Safe Drinking Water Act reauthorized | |
| State’s 1st permanent household hazardous waste collection center opens | Federal funding allows completion of Johns-Mansville asbestos cleanup | |
| Lamprey River receives federal “Wild & Scenic” designation | ||
| Brownfields established | ||
| All DES statutes amended to eliminate references to specific divisions | ||
| 1997 | ||
| Solid Waste Rules recodified | ||
| Dam Safety Rules revised | EPA finalizes new standards for ozone & particulate matter | |
| DES website grows | ||
| State focuses on solid waste capacity & management issues | ||
| Shoreland Protection Administrative Rules adopted | ||
| DES releases report, “Regulatory Barriers to the Implementation of Innovative Environmental Technologies” | ||
| NH joins with other Northeastern states petitioning EPA to crackdown on ozone polluters | DES & EPA enter into Performance Partnership | |
| DES takes active role in global climate change | ||
| NH & Vt. governors sign agreement with NE Power Co./15 Mile Falls hydroplant to protect Upper Conn. River Watershed | ||
| Ken Colburn, DES, attends Kyoto conference | Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change | |
| 1998 | ||
| Volunteer River Assessment Program formed | ||
| January ice storm leaves 140 towns needing disaster assistance | ||
| Savage Well Superfund site undergoes major remedial work | EPA & Dept. of Agriculture initiate new national Clean Water Action Plan | |
| Project WET launched | ||
| Mid-year, over 700 UST tanks still needed to come into compliance by December | ||
| DES purchases rare ecosystem in Litchfield | ||
| Boscawen tannery cleanup begins | ||
| Real-time data access for Winnipesaukee River & Lake | ||
Legislation passed:
|
VP Al Gore comes to NH to announce additional federal monies for Seacoast | |
| State-of-the-art wastewater treatment facility dedicated in North Conway | ||
| NH signs EMS pilot project agreement; ISO 14000 hot topic | ||
| New grant initiatives to protect drinking water sources | ||
| Mercury Reduction Strategy released in Oct. | New England Governors & Eastern Canadian Premiers adopt mercury & acid rain initiatives | |
| Statewide survey conducted to research malformities in frogs | Conn. River designated an “American Heritage River”; 1 of 14 nationwide | |
| MtBE in drinking water becomes hot topic | ||
| 13,855 USTs removed in NH by nationwide UST deadline = 96% success | ||
| DES launches OneStop data retrieval website | Buenos Aires conference on Climate Change | |
| State adds electric vehicles to fleet | ||
| 1999 | ||
| DES begins preparations for Y2K | ||
| New motor vehicle salvage facility initiative launched | ||
| New universal waste policy | ||
| State adopts new sludge rules | ||
| DES Water Division reorganizes | ||
| State receives $1.45 million Brownfields grant | ||
| P2 program works with NH Hospital Assoc. to reduce mercury in health care facilities | US Coast Guard & DES sign coastal oil spill response MOA | |
| Governor creates 2 environmental task forces: mercury reduction & solid waste management | NH & Vt. join Syracuse U. & US Fish & Wildlife in study of mercury in fish | |
| Governor seeks waiver from federal MtBE requirements | ||
| DES adopts rules to permit breakwaters on NH lakes | ||
| Greenhouse Gas Reduction Registry established for NH companies | ||
| DES initiates new ambient air toxics measurement program | Ozone negotiations fail among Northeast, Midwest & southeast states | |
| DES consolidates Concord offices to Hazen Dr. | ||
| Land Resources Management Program created under the Water Division | ||
| Shellfish Program transferred to DES from Health & Human Services | ||
| 2000 | ||
| TMDL regulations hot topic | ||
| Nonpoint Source Management Plan wins EPA approval | ||
| DES proposes stringent MtBE limits | ||
| NH 3rd state to gain formal approval of drinking water source assessment program | ||
| NH leads Northeast & Mid-Atlantic states in reducing NOx emissions | ||
| State joins lawsuit against Midwest power plants | ||
| DES & Wheelabrator launch mercury thermometer exchange program | US Sen. Smith hosts environmental forum in NH | |
| NH 1st to ban the sale of mercury fever thermometers & mercury in novelty goods | ||
| DES finalizes Compliance Assurance Response Policy | ||
| Land Conservation and Historic Preservation Program created | ||
| New web design for des.nh.gov | ||
| 2001 | ||
| Governor announces Clean Power Strategy | ||
| State launches private well testing initiative | ||
| NH adopts tighter arsenic levels in drinking water | Federal gov’t tightens arsenic levels in drinking water | |
| DES issues Dioxin Reduction Strategy; 1st in nation | ||
| Governor issues executive order on MtBE | ||
| Airborne mercury dramatically reduced following Wheelabrator thermometer exchange | ||
| Varney leaves DES for EPA | ||
| Dana Bisbee becomes acting commissioner | ||
| Marine engine initiative successful | ||
| McGoldrick Dam on the Ashuelot removed; 1st dam in NH removed to improve water quality | ||
| Large groundwater withdrawal rules adopted | ||
| State’s largest newspapers conclude 10-year recycling initiative; rate goes from 6% to 33% | ||
| NH Geological Survey formally recognized | ||
| Green Lodging Initiative begun | ||
| School bus anti-idling project launched | ||
| 2002 | ||
| Drought emergency declared, Spring 2002 | ||
| Nationwide effort, “Sustainable Slopes,” is launched in NH | ||
| New Water Supply Capacity Program | ||
| Lake Host Program begins | ||
| Governor signs Clean Power Act | ||
| Gilson Road Superfund cleanup completed | ||
| State adopts tighter arsenic level for drinking water | 30th anniversary of Clean Water Act | |
| Report published on Frog Survey | ||
| Winchester Dam removed; 2nd in state | ||
| State launches Clean Cities coalition | ||
| Hampton Beach 1 of 10 flagship beaches nationwide | EPA launches Clean New England Beach Initiative | |
| Pack Monadnock air monitoring station opens | Granite State Clean Cities Coalition designated by the US Dept. of Energy | |
| 2003 | ||
| Jan. 1, residential trash burning banned | ||
| New laboratory wing built | ||
| Hazardous Waste Coordinator Certification Program started | ||
| NH joins suit against EPA on Clean Air Standards | ||
| DES assists municipalities in meeting EPA storm water permit requirements | ||
| NH Green Yards Program begins | ||
| DES receives national award for Dioxin Strategy | ||
| Old Man of the Mountain falls! | ||
| Mike Nolin named new DES commissioner | ||
| Michael Nolin becomes commissioner | ||
| DES takes role in Homeland Security plans | ||
| Troy Mills landfill added to the NPL List | ||
| State sues major oil companies over MtBE pollution | ||
| Hazardous Waste Management Self-certification Program begins | ||
| Hazardous Waste Coordinator Certification program started | ||
| 2004 | ||
| New DES website design unveiled | ||
| Alternative fuel use gains momentum in NH | ||
| US Sen. Gregg gets $1.09 million for milfoil | ||
| 1 million gallons of DIY used oil collected in NH since program began | ||
| PrintSTEP program for commercial printers launched | ||
| Air transport report unveiled | ||
| Programs from other agencies transferred to DES: Coastal, Asbestos, Environmental & Occupational Health. | ||
| DES adopts new air permit fee system | ||
| “Green” Paint Program | ||
| State issues permit to PSNH for new wood-fired boiler | ||
| Environmental Health Tracking Program | ||
| Hazardous Waste Small Quantity Generator Self-Certification program started | ||
| 2005 | ||
| SRCIS, new response section created | ||
| “Watershed Approach” new pilot program | ||
| State joins Energy Star 10% Challenge | ||
| Fish Advisory published | ||
| VLAP celebrates 20 years | ||
| Perchlorate emerges as potential chemical of concern | ||
| Real-time info for Winnipesaukee River watershed | ||
| Hampton-Seabrook Harbor dredging project | ||
| State clamps down on toxics in packaging | ||
| Pharmaceuticals & personal care products in water a growing concern | ||
| DES rules reorganized | ||
| Former Chloro-Alkali facility added to National Priorities List (Superfund) | ||
| 100,000th record added to the state’s Water Well Inventory | ||
| Unique pet waste outreach project a success | ||
| Coastal waters designated “No Discharge Area” | ||
| Fall floods! | ||
| State participates in Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative – Dec. 2005 | ||
| 2006 | ||
| Green Slopes Initiative | ||
| DES joins team to investigate meth labs | ||
| Agreement reached on mercury emissions from state’s coal-fired plants | ||
| DES 1st state agency to complete GIS work | ||
| Planning, Prevention & Assistance Unit established | ||
| DES teams up with NH Fish & Game on Discover WILD NH Day | ||
| P2 Program awarded “Hospitals for a Healthy Environment” Award 2 years in a row | ||
| First group of certified Green Yards recognized | ||
| DES Shellfish Program funded | ||
| Mothers Day floods! | ||
| 1st state-owned biodiesel station opens | ||
| Brownfields Program celebrates 10 years | ||
| Ammonoosuc River protected under RMPP | ||
| Tom Burack confirmed as new DES commissioner | ||
| Contaminated Site Rules revised | ||
| TrueValue & DES partner on free lamp recycling | ||
| Aquatic Resource Mitigation (ARM) Fund established | ||
| 2007 | ||
| WRBP presented with EPA national Award of Excellence | ||
| DES receives grant to clarify mercury and fish consumption message | ||
| Governor sets energy goals: “25 x 25” | ||
| Gulf of Maine Council releases new action plan | ||
| DES/DOT look for solutions to salt in impaired I-93 waterbodies | ||
| April floods! | ||
| DES issues report on air quality in Suncook Village | ||
| DES Wastewater Engineering Bureau receives national EPA Award for Technical Assistance | ||
| Northeast states develop plan to lower mercury levels in fish | ||
| Comprehensive Guide for Innovative Land Use Planning | ||
| Environmental Leadership Initiative launched | ||
| Pay As You Throw addresses solid waste issues | ||
| Water Supply & Engineering Bureau changes name to Drinking Water & Groundwater Bureau | ||
| ExxonMobil settles with state for more than $2.04 million for reimbursement to the Oil Discharge and Disposal Cleanup Fund | ||
| State bans burning of construction & demolition wastes | ||
| State bans disposal of TVs & computers in landfills | ||
| State awards $2 million in EPA Brownfields grants | ||
| CSPA amended to include new shoreland impact permitting process | ||
| DES partners with EPA’s WaterSense Program | ||
| Rock Snot – new exotic aquatic species threat | ||
| Climate Change Task Force announced | ||
| Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative moves forward | ||
| State joins largest Clean Air settlement | ||
| 2008 | ||
| DES launches Partners Program | ||
| New Shoreland Rules, April 1 | ||
| Statewide Water & Wastewater Agency Response Network (WARN); emergency cooperative for municipal and state agencies | ||
| USGS releases statewide MtBE study | Federal agreement ensures long-term protection of the Troy Mills Landfill site | |
| Statewide mercury in freshwater fish consumption advisory updated | ||
| Protected in stream flows for the Souhegan River | ||
| VLAP receives EPA Merit Award | ||
| New DES pumpout boat for the coast | ||
| Governor signs law joining Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | ||
| 20 yrs.: Rivers Management & Protection Program | ||
| CSPA amended to include new shoreland impact permitting process | ||
| DES Strategic Plan launched | ||
| DES awarded $200,000 EPA petroleum brownfields grant | ||
| FEMA issues final report on flooding events | ||
| Municipal EcoLink newsletter published | ||
| Hampton Beach ranks one of nation’s cleanest | ||
| DES website totally revamped | ||
| NH Water Resources Primer published | ||
| Manchester completes major wastewater treatment upgrade on West Side | ||
| 2009 | ||
| New AoT Rules go into effect Jan. 1 | ||
| New model ordinance to prevent storm damage released | ||
| New Aquatic Resource Mitigation proves effect | ||
| DES administers ARRA funding for drinking water, clean water, diesel emission reduction, and brownfields projects around the state | American Recovery & Reinvestment Act funding made available | |
| NH Stormwater Manual released | ||
| Tidal Energy Commission releases final findings | ||
| DES & Home Builders Assoc. sign agreement | ||
| NH Climate Action Plan released | ||
| New Youth Camp Rules in effect | ||
| “Green” parking lot pilot project | ||
| Innovative Permitting Initiative launched | ||
| Environmental Public Health Tracking Program | ||
| DES joins others in public outreach efforts on safely disposing of unwanted medications | ||
| Nashua completes $27 million wastewater treatment upgrade | ||
| 2010 | ||
| OneStop database site unveils major upgrade | ||
| NH part of regional initiative to look at low carbon fuels | ||
| Efforts to protect groundwater from rock blasting | EPA proposes stricter smog standards | |
| DES participates in “Spill of National Significance” 2010 | ||
| New Candidate School for wastewater operators | ||
| State helps to create the regional “Transportation and Climate Initiative” | ||
| DES adopts Lean problem-solving process | ||
| New Stream Crossing Rules | ||
| Londonderry air monitoring station begins operating | ||
| New requirements for VOC and greenhouse gas emissions | ||
| DES releases 2010-2015 Strategic Plan | ||
| 2011 | ||
| DES submits revised regional haze plan | ||
| Hooksett wastewater treatment disks release | ||
| Legislative Stormwater Commission completes final report | ||
| Hydrography dataset updated for NH | ||
| DES staffing levels downsized | ||
| Some DES programs temporarily suspended | ||
| DES water quality lab transferred to DHHS | ||
| The NH Homeowners’ Guide to Stormwater Management published | ||
| State-owned buildings reduce energy use by 16%/sq.ft. since 2005 | ||
| DES icon Jody Connor passes away | ||
| State’s coastal beaches: 1st in the Nation in water quality by NRDC | 2008 ozone standard revised & reaffirmed | |
| Tropical storm Irene wreaks havoc in state | ||
| Comprehensive Shoreland Protection Act changed to Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act | New federal Boiler Rule | |
| 2012 | ||
| January 1 – DES celebrates 25th Anniversary! | ||
DES Time Line
Environmental Laws & Activities over the Years