White House Proposes 31 Percent Cut to EPA

The White House has proposed a $6.1 billion for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for fiscal year (FY) 2020, a 31 percent cut from the agency’s FY 2019 budget of $8.8 billion. The Administration had proposed drastic cuts to EPA’s budget in FY 2018 and FY 2019 as well, which Congress rejected both times.
The plan summary states that the funding priorities will be “reviewing and revising regulations, improving the permitting process, and enhancing collaboration with state, tribal and federal partners.” The agency stated that the proposal “maintains EPA’s focus on its core mission - providing Americans with clean air, land and water, and ensuring chemical safety.”
Scientific research within EPA is slated for a 35 percent cut. EPA Science and Technology, which supports research used to identify and mitigate environmental problems, will receive $463 million in FY 2020.
Within the Office of Research and Development, funding for research on sustainable
and healthy communities would decline to $65.5 million (-55 percent). Support would
be targeted to research on cleanup of contaminated sites, oil spills, and hazardous substances.
Funds would also support technical assistance for states, tribes, and local communities on ecological and human health risk assessment.
The Safe and Sustainable Water Resources account would receive $70 million (-34 percent) and prioritize research in areas of nutrients, harmful algal blooms, wat...

Source: Public Policy Reports - March 19, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news