Section 2873 - Department of Environmental Conservation(a) The Department of Environmental Conservation is created within the Agency of Natural Resources. The Department is the successor to and continuation of the Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering and shall administer the Water Resources Programs contained in Title 10, air pollution control and abatement as provided in 10 V.S.A. chapter 23, and waste disposal as provided in 10 V.S.A. chapter 159.(b) The Department may perform design and construction supervision services for major maintenance and capital construction projects for the Agency and all of its components.(d) Nothing in this section shall prevent the Commissioner of Public Safety from exercising the Commissioner's authority to regulate public buildings.(g) There is created within the Department of Environmental Conservation the Small Business Technical and Environmental Compliance Assistance Program. This Program shall include each element specified in section 507(a) of the federal Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. § 7401 et seq.) and shall also be authorized to assist small businesses in similar fashion with regard to their obligations under all other environmental legislation administered by the Department.Amended by 2023 , No. 6, § 6, eff. 7/1/2023.Amended by 2021 , No. 52, § 7, eff. 6/3/2021.Added 1969, No. 246 (Adj. Sess.), § 11, eff. 6/1/1970; amended 1979, No. 159 (Adj. Sess.), § 8; 1983, No. 158 (Adj. Sess.), eff. 4/13/1984; 1983, No. 193 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. 4/27/1984; 1987, No. 76, §§ 15, 16; 1987, No. 268 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. 6/21/1988; 1991, No. 100, § 10; 1993, No. 92 , § 9; 2001, No. 94 (Adj. Sess.) , § 1, eff. 5/2/2002; 2001, No. 133 (Adj. Sess.) , § 14, eff. 6/13/2002; 2005, No. 103 (Adj. Sess.) , § 3, eff. 4/5/2006; 2009 , No. 135 (Adj. Sess.), § 26 (2)(D); 2015, No. 97 (Adj. Sess.) , § 7; 2017, No. 190 (Adj. Sess.) , § 22, eff. 5/28/2018.