Quality Management
DEQ fulfills its mission—to protect human health and preserve the quality of Idaho’s air, land, and water for use and enjoyment today and in the future—by engaging in a variety of activities, including monitoring and assessing environmental conditions, establishing policies and rules, issuing permits, cleaning up contamination, enforcing environmental laws, and educating businesses and citizens to encourage pollution prevention. Inherent in all of these activities is a commitment to produce quality products, recommendations, and services through quality information and work.
Quality Management System
The primary purpose of DEQ's Quality Management System (QMS) is to provide a framework for DEQ to ensure quality in environmental data and information used by the agency.
The primary benefits of a well-documented QMS include the following:
- Defensible products and decisions
- Integrity of scientific data
- Effective resource management
- Justifiable resource expenditures
- Continual process improvement
- A healthier, cleaner Idaho
Additionally, a documented QMS meets federal requirements mandated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Quality Management Plan
The DEQ Quality Management Plan (QMP) documents the QMS to communicate and implement quality management procedures within the DEQ. Successful data collection and monitoring activities require DEQ’s team of scientists, engineers, technicians, managers, and support staff to collect, manage, and make informed decisions based on a variety of environmental information generated both internally and externally, by citizens, businesses, industries, and others with vested interests in Idaho’s environmental quality. Quality data and information constitute the foundation of informed decision-making.