State Of Idaho Department Of Environmental Quality

State of Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, doing business as DEQ, is a U.S. state government entity that acts as a federal grant recipient, administering environmental regulatory, compliance, and water quality programs across Idaho through funding from the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy, and Department of the Army. DEQ operates as a prime recipient on 374 of its 376 recent federal awards (99%), with minimal sub-award activity, and carries no federal contract prime or subcontract posture—its footprint is exclusively federal grant work.

DEQ's capability portfolio centers on environmental permitting, regulatory compliance, water quality protection, hazardous waste management, and climate and air quality programs. Representative work includes a $230 thousand block grant from the Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy (awarded May 2026, running through September 2030) for environmental permitting and RCRA/HWMA compliance inspections; a $274.5 thousand Cooperative Agreement from EPA Region 10 (awarded May 2026, through December 2027) for Superfund State and Indian Tribe Core Program activities including program management, legal assistance for cost recovery, and policy development; and a $3.32 million Formula Grant from EPA Region 10 (awarded January 2026, through December 2031) under the Nonpoint Source Implementation Grants program (CFDA 66.460) funding nine subaward projects for agricultural best management practices and stream restoration across Idaho watersheds. DEQ also administers large state revolving fund (SRF) capitalization grants for drinking water and clean water infrastructure, including a $27.582 million Drinking Water SRF grant (October 2024, through September 2029) and multiple Clean Water SRF grants totaling tens of millions, which DEQ passes through as low-interest loans to public water systems and municipalities.

Customer concentration is dominated by EPA and EPA Region 10, which together account for 92 percent of recent awards by count (211 and 118 awards respectively). The Department of Energy (Office of Environmental Management and Office of Nuclear Energy combined), the Department of the Army, and thirteen other agencies round out the active customer base. The gap between award volume and potential value reflects the low dollar magnitude and formula-driven nature of EPA's state grant programs; combined potential value across all 376 awards totals only $34 thousand, while combined dollars obligated across all awards reaches $1.25 billion—indicating that obligated spending far exceeds initial potential values, typical of multi-year block grants and state revolving fund programs that leverage capitalization grants into much larger loan portfolios.

Activity has remained steady, with 14 awards in 2022, 23 in 2023, 21 in 2024, 19 in 2025, and 8 awards year-to-date in 2026. Twenty-one awards are approaching ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, representing annual recompete pressure on core programs including water quality monitoring, air quality implementation, hazardous waste oversight, and drinking water supervision. DEQ's work spans water pollution control (CFDA 66.419), water quality management planning (CFDA 66.454), hazardous waste management (CFDA 66.801), Superfund state core programs (CFDA 66.809), drinking water supervision (CFDA 66.432), leaking underground storage tank corrective action (CFDA 66.805), and state revolving funds for both clean water and drinking water infrastructure. Performance is conducted statewide across Idaho with administrative oversight in Boise. DEQ also receives sub-awards from the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare in support of harmful algal bloom coordination. No SBA certifications or set-aside posture apply to this state government entity.