Thirty years ago this summer, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) was created by the Montana state Legislature to safeguard the environment for future generations of Montanans.

Ever since, DEQ has worked tirelessly to uphold its mission of maintaining a healthy environment for a thriving Montana. And under the leadership of Gov. Greg Gianforte, we are doing that, while also reducing red tape, expediting permitting and helping unleash the full power of made-in-Montana energy.

Legislators created DEQ in the 1995 session by carving duties out of the then departments of State Lands; Natural Resources and Conservation; and Health and Environmental Sciences. State Lands was dissolved. Natural Resources and Conservation and Public Health and Human Services, along with DEQ, continue to

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