A state Senate committee could consider this week whether to reinstate expired fees that had provided more than one-quarter of the funding for Missouri's water regulation programs.
The fees expired in December, and that has led to concerns from some that the federal Environmental Protection Agency might eventually take over regulation in Missouri.
Last budget year, the permit fees provided $4.2 million for the water programs overseen by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
Lawmakers are considering legislation that would renew the fees for another several years. Last year, the Legislature considered a bill to extend the fees before they expired, but it did not pass.
Sen. Brad Lager, chairman of the Senate panel considering the fee extension, said this year's legislation could extend the fees through 2013. Lager said dire predictions about the possible fallout from allowing the fees to expire have proven unfounded, but the fees should be reinstated nonetheless.
"We still have a responsibility to get it done," said Lager, R-Savannah.
Lager said there also should be a complete review of water enforcement. He said the fee issue could be included in broader legislation covering environmental issues and the Department of Natural Resources.
Lawmakers face a tight schedule to approve the fee extension bill, with only three weeks remaining before the Legislature's May 13 adjournment. The House voted last month to approve legislation extending the fees.
States can enforce water quality rules if their programs meet federal requirements.
The state fees are paid by commercial developers, home builders, utilities, manufacturers and livestock producers for permission to discharge wastewater or divert storm water into streams and lakes.
Several Missouri business groups have urged lawmakers to renew the fees. During a Senate committee hearing earlier this year, lobbyists representing business, agriculture and utility interests endorsed their extension and expressed concerns that federal regulators could take over water regulation if the state does not have enough funding to handle it.
Some business groups fear that if the EPA were to handle the water programs, it could lead to delays in permits and make it harder to recruit new industry. However, the EPA has said previously it does not want to take over Missouri's program.
The DNR said businesses can benefit from working with the department because it can provide state-specific information and support.