Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality
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. The Department was created in 1993 during the term of Governor David Walters. Leadership. The Department was administered by the Secretary of the  Environment. Since 2013, the Department is administered by the Office of Secretary of Energy and Environment. Under Governor Kevin Stitt, Kenneth Wagner is serving as the Secretary of Energy and Environment. State Environmental Quality Board. The governing body of the Department is the State Environmental Quality Board, which is composed of thirteen members appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Oklahoma Senate. The membership of the Board must be composed of the following: All members serve renewable five year terms. Organization. The Department is divided into six major divisions, with each division being headed by a Division Director . Budget and Staffing. The Department of Environmental Quality, with an annual budget of over $70 million, is one of the larger employers of the State. For fiscal year 2014, the Department was authorized 548 full-time employees.