About the Office of the Secretary of the Environment

Mission Statement:
The Environmental Mission of the State of Oklahoma, as adopted by the state's environmental agencies, is to protect and enhance Oklahoma's environment and natural resources through preservation, conservation, restoration, education and enforcement in order to maintain and improve the environmental quality and natural beauty of our state and better the standard of living for all Oklahomans.

OSE Duties & Responsibilities:
The primary duties assigned to the Secretary of the Environment are found in Oklahoma Statutes at 27A O.S. 1-2-101. Essentially, the Secretary of the Environment has the following four responsibilities:

1. Any duties and powers assigned by the Governor,
2. Recipient and administrator of Federal Clean Water Act funds,
3. Coordinate pollution control activities to avoid duplication of effort, and
4. Act on behalf of the public as trustee for natural resources.

Staff at the Office of the Secretary of the Environment supports the Secretary in each of these four areas.