MorePresident Obama released his FY 2012 budget proposal Monday, Feb. 14, 2011. The proposed budget would reduce spending at the EPA by 13 percent or from $10.3 billion to $8.973 billion. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said that this budget reflected the spending restraints that American people were facing but would allow the agency to carry out its core mission of protecting human health and the environment.
Some key 2012 budget initiatives include:
Some key 2012 budget initiatives include:
- $350 million for projects strategically chosen to target the most significant threats to people’s health in the Great Lakes ecosystem, a $125 million decrease from FY 2010, the first year of the initiative.
- $2.5 billion – a decrease of $947 million – combined for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs). The EPA will continue to work with states and communities to enhance their capacity to provide clean water and safe drinking water to Americans. Federal dollars provided through SRFs will help spur efficient system-wide planning and ongoing management of sustainable water infrastructure.
- $1.2 billion for the Superfund program to support cleanup at hazardous waste sites that address human health and environmental hazards at the nation’s highest priority sites. While the EPA will be exploring efficiencies in the program, the $70 million reduction to Superfund programs will slow the pace of new projects and completion of projects.
- $27.5 million increase in enforcement and compliance, allowing for critical investments to increase efficiencies and streamline enforcement by using the latest e-reporting and monitoring tools. The EPA will increase oversight and inspections at high risk chemical and oil facilities in order to protect Americans’ health.
- $16.1 million more to reduce chemical risks, increase the pace of chemical hazard assessments, and provide the public with greater access to chemical information so they can make better informed decisions about their health. Learning more about these chemicals will help protect Americans from potential threats to their health.
- $1.2 billion for state and tribal grants – an overall increase of $84.9 million over FY 2010. This funding will help communities take steps to meet the pollution standards the agency has developed under the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.
- An additional $46 million for regulatory efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution and implement GHG reporting requirements under the Clean Air Act. This includes $25 million for states and $5 million for the EPA to address GHGs in Clean Air Act permitting activities.
- $67.4 million to support EPA’s efforts to clean up America’s great water bodies, specifically the Chesapeake Bay. This water body serves as an economic engine for an entire region of the country, and millions of Americans rely on it for access to clean, safe water. Investing in these waters will help local economies and protect Americans’ health.
- $584 million to support research and innovation into new and emerging environmental science. This includes a $24.7 million increase to Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grants to ensure that the EPA is using the best science to protect the air we breathe, the water we drink and the land we build our communities on. The agency’s research program is being restructured to ensure that scientific work is conducted more efficiently and effectively.
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