Bill to Close State Environmental Laboratory Introduced in Oklahoma

Bill to Close State Environmental Laboratory Introduced in Oklahoma

On February 6, 2017, a bill (SB 477) was introduced in the Oklahoma Senate that would, if enacted, require closure of the State Environmental Laboratory. The laboratory, which is operated by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, is currently responsible for testing the state’s 1,700 public water supply systems. Under SB 447, the Department of Environmental Quality would be required to “cease operations of the State Environmental Laboratory,” and contract with private laboratories to test water samples.