WASHINGTON - Today the Obama Administration suggested a FY 2013 budget of $8.344 billion for the E.P.A. (EPA). This budget reflects a government-wide effort to reduce spending and find cost-savings, and is $105 million below the EPA's enacted level for FY 2012. The FY 2013 budget is the result of EPA's ongoing efforts to carefully consider potential cost savings and reductions while continuing its commitment to core environmental and health protections -- safeguarding Americans from pollution in the air they breathe, the water they drink and the land where they build their communities.
"This budget is focused on fulfilling EPA's core mission to protect health and the environment for millions of American families. It demonstrates fiscal responsibility, while still supporting clean air, healthy waters and innovative safeguards that are essential to an America built to last," said E.P.A. Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "It has taken hard work and difficult choices to reach this balanced approach, and while we had to make sacrifices, we have maintained our commitment to the core priorities of this agency and ensured the protections the American people expect and deserve."
Key FY 2013 budget highlights include:
Supporting State Governments. The budget suggests $1.2 billion in categorical grants for states that are on the front lines implementing environmental statutes such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. The increases from FY 2012 levels include nearly $66 million for State and Tribal Air Quality Management grants, nearly $27 million for Pollution Control (Clean Water Act Section 106) grants, and about $29 million for the Tribal General Assistance Program.
Protecting America's Waters. The suggestion provides $2 billion for Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving funds (SRFs). This will allow the SRFs to finance over $6 billion in wastewater and drinking water infrastructure plans annually. E.P.A. will work to target assistance to small and underserved communities with limited ability to repay loans, while maintaining state plan integrity.
Cleaning Up Contaminated Sites in Communities. The suggestion includes $755 million in backing for the Superfund Cleanup plan which maintains backing to support cleanup at hazardous waste sites that address emergencies (Superfund Emergency Response and Removal) at the nation's highest priority sites (Superfund Remedial).
Investing in Cutting Edge Research. EPA's suggested budget provides $576 million to support research and innovation. Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grants are funded at $81 million to conduct research in key areas such as hydraulic fracturing, potential endocrine disruptors, and green infrastructure. Building upon ongoing research and collaborating with the D.O.E. and the U.S.G.S., a total $14 million investment will begin to assess potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on air quality, water quality, and ecosystems. The E.P.A. also will release an Interim Report on the Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water Resources in 2012.
Ongoing Support to Economically and Environmentally Vital Water Bodies. To ensure the progress made during the past 3 years continues, E.P.A. is proposing $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Programs and plans will target the most significant environmental problems in the Great Lakes. About $73 million, which is a $15 million increase, will fund the Chesapeake Bay program's continued implementation of the President's Executive Order on Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration. Backing will support bay watershed states as they implement their projects to reduce nutrient and sediment pollution in an unprecedented effort to restore this economically important ecosystem.
Protecting Americans from Harmful Chemicals. E.P.A. is proposing $68 million, an increase of $11 million from FY 2012, to reduce chemical risks, increase the pace of chemical hazard assessments, and provide the public with greater access to toxic chemical information. Backing will sustain the agency's successes in managing the potential risks of new chemicals coming into the market and accelerating the progress to help ensure the safety of chemicals on the market that have not been tested for adverse human health and environmental impacts.
Next Generation Compliance. EPA's budget suggestion requests $36 million to support "Next Generation Compliance", a new enforcement model designed to enhance EPA's ability to detect violations that impact public health. The 3 components of this approach are: promoting electronic reporting by facilities, modifying data systems to implement electronic reporting, and deploying modern monitoring technology. This will work toward improved compliance and transparency, and more efficient processes that do not rely on paper-based reporting. And, create cost savings and efficiencies for EPA, states and industry.
Supporting the National Fuel Economy and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Requirements Program. The budget contains a $10 million increase to the EPA's National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Lab for certification and compliance testing programs and to evaluate new biofuels technologies. The national plan of fuel economy and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Requirements for light duty vehicles alone will save approximately twelve billion barrels of oil and prevent six billion metric tons of GHG emissions over the lifetime of the vehicles sold through model year 2025. These funds will enhance testing methods for the agency's renewable fuels program, and the GHG and fuel economy programs intended to reduce dependence on oil and save consumers money at the pump.
Reducing and Eliminating Programs. The budget includes $50 million in savings by eliminating several E.P.A. programs that have either completed their goals or can be implemented through other federal or state efforts.
More information:
http://www.epa.gov/budget
