Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) officials have announced significant cost savings for the State of Arizona in support of Gov. Douglas Ducey’s commitment to efficient, accountable government.

ADEQ made significant changes to its office layouts and overall footprint, which resulted in vacating nearly 30,000 square feet of office space at its headquarters location, as well as an entire building previously used by ADEQ’s Vehicle Emissions Inspection (VEI) program near 40th Street and State Route 202 in Phoenix. ADEQ also returned 26 vehicles.

ADEQ’s changes are saving Arizona close to $600,000 in annual rent and are expected to generate income for the state from auction sales of the former VEI property, appraised at approximately $1.5 million, and its returned fleet vehicles. Working in cooperation with the Arizona Department of Administration, the headquarters space will now be rented by other state agencies.

As part of its headquarters office reorganization, ADEQ relocated personnel to make sure cross-functional teams are seated together to provide efficient customer service. ADEQ also sent more than 17 tons of paper to be recycled and reduced office equipment expenses.

“At ADEQ, we love to reduce waste to the environment and reduce waste in our operations,” ADEQ Director Misael Cabrera said.