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Commission History
The Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission was first
established in 1949 as part of the Arkansas Water Pollution Control Act (Act 472
of 1949).
Since that time, it has undergone significant changes - including a
reorganization in 1991 and state government transformation in 2019 and again in 2023.
The Commission is the environmental policy-making body for Arkansas.
With guidance from the Governor, the Legislature, the EPA and others, the
Commission
determines the environmental policy for the state and the Division of
Environmental Quality implements those policies.
Though the Commission and the Division of Environmental
Quality work closely, each is distinctly different.
The Commission is comprised of seven (7) members, three (3) representing state agencies and
four (4) appointed by the Governor. The three (3) agency representatives are directors
- or their designee - of the:
- Arkansas Department of Health
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
- Arkansas Department of Agriculture
The four (4) other members of the Commission represent each of the four
congressional districts in the state.
The Commission employs two people:
- Charles Moulton - Administrative Law Judge
- Patricia Goff - Commission Secretary
By law, the Commission must meet four times each year. In practicality,
they meet once a month with the exception of November.
Commission Legislative History
Act 472 of 1949 - Established the Water Pollution Control Commission
as a part of the State Board of Health. Its original membership consisted of the
directors of four state agencies: the State Board of Health, the Arkansas Game
and
Fish Commission, the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission and the Resources and
Development
Commission. The Commission also had three citizen members, each appointed by the
Governor to represent interest areas of industry, municipalities and agriculture
and livestock.
Act 232 of 1953 - Added to the Commission members the director
of the State Forestry and Parks Commission.
Act 503 of 1963 - Required the Commission to appoint a director "who
shall handle such correspondence make and arrange such inspections or
investigations,
and obtain and assemble or propose such reports and data as the Commission may
direct
and authorize, and who shall be the executive officer and active administrator
of
all pollution control activities and shall have such other delegated powers and
duties as the Commission may direct or authorize."
Act 183 of 1965 - Changed the Commission's name to the Arkansas
Pollution Control Commission, added authority for air pollution control, removed
the Commission from the Health Department and changed the state agency
membership.
The new composition of the Commission included the directors of five state
agencies:
the State Board of Health, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the Oil and
Gas
Commission, the Natural Resources Commission and the State Forestry Commission.
The three appointed member representatives remained unchanged.
Act 236 of 1971 - Added two members to the Commission: the State
Geologist and a representative of the state's mining industry. The
special-interest
representative was appointed by the Governor.
Act 38 of 1971 - State government reorganization act; created
the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality and provided that the
Department
Director would be nominated by the Commission and confirmed by the Governor with
consent of the State Senate.
Act 930 of 1985 - Added another member to the Commission and clarified
the qualifications of one of the positions to be appointed by the Governor. The
additional member, appointed by the Governor, was required to be a member of an
organization which belonged to the Arkansas Conservation Coalition. The change
in
the qualifications of another appointee, a representative of municipalities, was
changed to the designation of a representative of city or county government.
Act 744 of 1991 - Restructured the Commission as follows: Increased
the size of the Commission to 13 members by adding two positions to be appointed
by the Governor and removed the specific interest area designations for the
gubernatorial
appointees and required that private citizen appointees "... have knowledge
or expertise in matters within the jurisdiction of the Commission including
government,
business or industry, agriculture and livestock, forestry, health, ecology,
recreation
and tourism and geology."
Other changes required each congressional district in the state
to be represented by at least one of the seven private citizen appointees and
provided
that no district could have more than two appointees. Also, the act prohibited
elected
city, county or state officials from serving on the Commission after the
expiration
of any current member's term and prohibited the six state agency members from
serving
as chairman or vice chairman.
The new act required the presence of nine members as a quorum to
conduct business, modified the procedures for issuance and revocation of
wastewater
discharge permits and for appeals of permit decisions involving wastewater
discharges.
The changes also removed the selection of the Arkansas Department
of Environmental Quality Director from the Commission's authority and placed the
selection process directly with the Governor, subject to Senate confirmation.
Act 1230 of 1991 - Clarified the powers and duties of the Commission
and the DEQ Director.
Act 910 of 2019 - Restructured and increased the size of the Commission to 15
members by adding an additional position appointed by the Governor and adding
the Secretary of Agriculture.
Act 704 of 2023 - Restructured and decreased the size of the Commission to 7 members.
Commission Members
Questions/Comments for the Commissioners
Name
|
Agency or District
|
Address
|
William "Al" Eckert III: Chair
Term Expires: 3/29/2026
|
District 2 Appointed: 3/29/2022 |
Little Rock, AR
|
Richard
McMullen, PhD |
State Agency Designee Appointed: 6/4/2019 |
Little Rock, AR |
Vacant |
District 3 |
Bentonville, AR |
Swan
'Rusty' Moss, Jr. Term Expires: 3/29/2026 |
District 1 Appointed: 3/30/2018 |
Dermott, AR
|
Chris
Racey
|
State Agency Director Appointed: 12/14/2021
|
Little Rock, AR
|
David
B. Vandergriff Term Expires: 2/27/2024 |
Pulaski County Appointed: 2/28/20 |
Little Rock, AR |
Wes
Ward |
Secretary of Agriculture |
Little Rock, AR |
Contact Information
Commission Staff