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| Agency overview | |
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| Jurisdiction | State of Tennessee |
| Headquarters | James K. Polk State Office Building Nashville, Tennessee 37243 |
| Agency executive |
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| Website | https://tdec.tn.gov/ |
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) is a Cabinet-level agency first created in 1937 within the government of the U.S. state of Tennessee, headed by the Tennessee Commissioner of Environment and Conservation.
The Department of Conservation was first created in 1937 by the State Government Reorganization Act of 1937. All areas used for state parks, monuments, and recreation were brought under a Division of Parks within the department later that year. For a short while in the late 1950s and early 1960s the department existed as the Department of Conservation and Commerce, but it was soon split, with the Department of Conservation regaining its name. The modern TDEC was created in 1991, with programs in the Department of Health and Environment shifted into the new department.
TDEC is legally responsible for the protection of Tennessee's air, water, and soil quality.
As of 2006, the department had at least fourteen divisions: the Division of Air Pollution Control, the Division of Archaeology, the Division of Geology, the Division of Ground Water Protection, the Division of Internal Audit, the Division of Natural Heritage, the Division of Radiological Health, the Division of Remediation, the Division of Solid and Hazardous Waste Management, the Division of Underground Storage Tanks, the Division of Water Pollution Control, the Division of Water Supply, the Recreational Services Division, and the Department of Energy Oversight Division. The department also manages Tennessee's state parks and the Tennessee Historical Commission. According to the Gubernatorial Papers housed at the Tennessee State Library and Archives in Nashville, the department once had a Hotel & Restaurant Division, which currently is managed by the Department of Tourist Development.
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The first commissioner of TDEC was J.W. Luna, who served under Governor Ned Ray McWherter. [2] Don Dills and Milton H. Hamilton Jr. were commissioners during the administration of Governor Don Sundquist. [3] Jim Fyke held the position under Governor Phil Bredesen. The current commissioner is David W. Salyers, who was appointed in 2019 by Governor Bill Lee. [4]
In 2016 the environmental watchdog group, the Tennessee Clean Water Network, published a press release directed at the department's Division of Water Resources, claiming that the division, under the direction of the state's governor, had shown a significant drop-off in the number of penalties for businesses committing clear acts of water pollution. The state issues a certain number of permits to businesses to pollute local water, and if those permit levels are exceeded, the state has the option to enforce a penalty, which it had largely decided not to do. [5]
The governor of Tennessee is the head of government of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor is the only official in the Tennessee state government who is directly elected by the voters of the entire state.
Donald Kenneth Sundquist was an American businessman and politician who served as the 47th governor of Tennessee from 1995 to 2003. Prior to his governorship, he represented Tennessee's 7th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1983 to 1995. He was a member of the Republican Party.
The Tennessee Commissioner of Tourist Development is the head of Tennessee's Department of Tourist Development, which is concerned with attracting tourism to the state. The Commissioner is appointed by the governor of Tennessee and is a member of the governor's Cabinet, which meets at least once per month, or more often to the governor's liking.
The Tennessee Department of Veterans Services (TDVS) is the head of Tennessee's Department of Veterans Affairs, which is responsible for veterans benefits programs within the state. The Commissioner is appointed by the governor of Tennessee and is a member of the governor's Cabinet, which meets at least once per month, or more often to the governor's liking.
The Tennessee Commissioner of Financial Institutions is the head of Tennessee's Department of Financial Institutions, which is responsible for regulating the bank system of that U.S. state. The Commissioner is appointed by the governor of Tennessee and is a member of the governor's Cabinet, which meets at least once per month, or more often to the governor's liking. Originally, a Banking Department had been created in 1913, led by a Superintendent of Banks, and then ten years later credit unions were added to the Department's responsibilities.
The Tennessee Commissioner of Environment and Conservation is the head of the Department of Environment and Conservation of the U.S. state of Tennessee, which is responsible for environmental protection, conservation of natural resources, and management of state parks. The Commissioner is appointed by the Governor and is a member of the Governor's Cabinet, which meets at least once per month, or more often to the governor's liking. The current Commissioner is David W. Salyers.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is a government agency in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is responsible for managing the state's natural resources and addressing issues related to pollution. NJDEP now has a staff of approximately 2,850.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is a department of New York state government. The department guides and regulates the conservation, improvement, and protection of New York's natural resources; manages Forest Preserve lands in the Adirondack and Catskill parks, state forest lands, and wildlife management areas; regulates sport fishing, hunting and trapping; and enforces the state's environmental laws and regulations. Its regulations are compiled in Title 6 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. It was founded in 1970, replacing the Conservation Department, and is headed by Basil Seggos.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is the Florida government agency responsible for environmental protection.
The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is a department of the government of Oklahoma under the Governor of Oklahoma. It is responsible for protecting human health and for safeguarding the natural environment: air, water, and land. DEQ is chiefly responsible for the environmental policy of Oklahoma. It is governed by a thirteen member Environmental Quality Board appointed by the Governor, which in turn appoints an Executive Director to administer the Department.
Justin Potter Wilson is an American lawyer and Republican politician who was the 34th Comptroller of the Treasury of Tennessee. He has been Tennessee deputy governor, a federal judicial nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt University Law School.
The Tennessee Division of Archaeology (TDOA) is a division of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation responsible for managing prehistoric archaeological sites on lands owned by the U.S. state of Tennessee, conducting archaeological excavations and research, informing the public about Tennessee’s prehistoric past, and coordinating with other state agencies regarding archaeological preservation issues.
J.D. Strong is a civil servant from the U.S. state of Oklahoma and the current executive director of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB). As executive director of the OWRB, Strong is responsible for carrying out the agency's mission to protect and enhance the quality of life for Oklahomans by managing and improving the state's water resources to ensure clean and reliable water supplies, a strong economy, and a safe and healthy environment. Under Strong's leadership, the OWRB updated the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan, a 50-year water supply assessment and policy strategy to meet Oklahoma's future water needs. Strong also oversees administration of Oklahoma's AAA-rated $3 billion Financial Assistance Program, which assists more than two-thirds of Oklahoma communities and rural water districts in financing water infrastructure projects. Other significant programs under Strong's direction include the administration of almost 13,000 water rights permits allocating some 6 million acre-feet of stream and groundwater, hydrologic studies, licensure of water well drillers, floodplain management, dam safety, and a water quality management program that includes establishment of standards and statewide monitoring of lakes and streams. Strong represents Oklahoma on the Western States Water Council and Chairs its Water Quality Committee, and also serves as Oklahoma's Commissioner on four congressionally approved interstate water Compact Commissions.
The Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston is a system of reservations, parks, parkways and roads under the control of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) in and around Boston that has been in existence for over a century. The title is used by the DCR to describe the areas collectively: "As a whole, the Metropolitan Park System is currently eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places", as outlined on the department's website. The DCR maintains a separate Urban Parks and Recreation division to oversee the system, one of five such divisions within the department—DCR's Bureau of State Parks and Recreation manages the remainder of Massachusetts state parks. Direct design and maintenance functions for the parkways and roads within the system are provided by the DCR Bureau of Engineering.
The Guam Environmental Protection Agency is a government agency of the United States territory of Guam.
Jones Wilson Luna, known as J.W. Luna, is an American lawyer who served successively under Tennessee Governor Ned McWherter as Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Personnel, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health and Environment, and Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
Richland Creek is a stream in the western part of Nashville, Tennessee, in Davidson County. It winds for 28 miles (45 km) through the Nashville suburbs of Belle Meade and Forest Hills and eventually flows into the Cumberland River near Rock Harbor Marina at the end of Robertson Avenue. This is one of at least five streams by the name of "Richland Creek" in various regions of Tennessee.
The Tennessee Clean Water Network is an environmental group located in the state of Tennessee in the United States whose principal focus has been the preserving the quality of the state's public water resources including its drinking water and its waterways.
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