About DEQ
DEQ was created July 1, 1993 as Oklahoma’s primary environmental protection agency to administer state environmental laws and delegated federal programs protecting Oklahoma’s air, land, and water resources, and to administer programs related to sources of ionizing radiation. We do this through several core functions: permitting, compliance assurance, environmental assessment and monitoring, site cleanup, planning, and outreach.
Our MISSION reflects our unwavering commitment to you, the citizens of Oklahoma and the entities we regulate, that protecting our air, land, and water is paramount. We believe that you deserve optimal service with professionalism and integrity. To demonstrate this commitment, we are undertaking a bold, forward-thinking, multi-year transformation to genuinely reduce waste within the agency, increase transparency, and improve services. This transformation is guided by our TRUE NORTH – the guidepost behind every decision we make to continuously improve both our internal processes and services and Oklahoma’s natural resources.
Our strategic plan was created after a brutally honest reflection of the agency we want to be and the agency we currently are. The objectives in that plan will be carried out under the umbrella of our DEQ Lean Management System, a comprehensive, agency-wide management approach to transform our mindset to one of continuous improvement. Under this approach, we will systematically achieve small, incremental improvements in our processes and services to improve efficiency, quality, and service for our customers and overall environmental outcomes.
DEQ Enhanced Tribal Engagement Policy
Working closely with our tribal partners is a priority for DEQ. Consequently, in early 2021, DEQ proactively developed a policy and process to provide enhanced notification to Covered Tribes (i.e., those directly or indirectly impacted by the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma) when undertaking permitting, rulemaking, and other relevant actions potentially impacting areas that fall within a Covered Tribe’s boundaries. As part of DEQ’s continuing effort to provide meaningful communication and engagement related to regulatory activities with the Covered Tribes, all permit applications, authorizations, or actions that require public notice, are shared directly with the tribal nation within whose boundaries the regulated activity will occur. Additionally, if DEQ is aware of a Non-Covered Tribe with a special interest in a particular project, DEQ will provide direct notice to that Tribe of actions related to such project. DEQ staff review all comments received during the process and respond in writing to the interested tribe.
Additionally, DEQ has designated a primary and secondary Tribal Liaison, whose responsibilities include tracking notifications to tribes and resulting comments to ensure consistency across divisions, and to be a central point of contact for tribal inquiries and referrals. Their contact information is:
Jonathan Allen
Deputy General Counsel and Tribal Liaison
(405) 702-7100
Vance Pennington
Assistant Division Director, Environmental Complaints and Local Services and Secondary Tribal Liaison
(405) 702-6100
DEQ values input from our tribal partners and looks forward to building upon our beneficial relationships as we all work together in our mission to protect and improve human health and the environment in a manner that supports and advances a prosperous Oklahoma for current and future generations.