EPA Pumps Budget $$ into Water Infrastructure, Great Lakes

The budget proposal brings back the polluter pays principle for Superfund cleanups and adds 30 new enforcement staffers. It will fund water infrastructure upgrades, Great Lakes restoration, a greenhouse gas emissions registry and will pass at least $1.1 billion along to the states and tribes in the form of grants.

U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson (Photo courtesy Blue Green Alliance)

"EPA's new budget reflects the President's commitment to growing a clean energy economy while protecting human health and the environment," said Jackson. "These investments demonstrate that it is possible to work towards both a green economy and a green environment by positioning EPA to lead the way in green jobs, in innovation and technology, and in action on global climate change."

The EPA suffered a 27 percent cumulative budget cut over the last eight years of the Bush administration, said Jackson, adding, "This is not an austerity budget, the last eight years were our austerity."

"It is important to note that a lot of the money passes right through the EPA to the states. And we are looking to bump up state and tribal categorial grants. We know state environmental programs are suffering," said Jackson, who is a former Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

Jackson emphasized that states, localities and tribes are the front line in many environmental programs, as they implement major portions of almost all EPA programs.

The 2010 budget improves accountability and transparency, ensuring fiscal responsibility at a time when every dollar counts, Jackson said. EPA will be increasing funding for the Inspector General's office to monitor public dollars entrusted to the agency and will be making its budget documents available to the public on the web.

Budget Highlights:

Combined sewer overflow in West Haven, Connecticut drains to Long Island Sound. (Photo by Christopher Zurcher)

Funding will be available to help communities repair and upgrade the aging network of drinking water and wastewater pipes that are overwhelmed and breaking down. Additional funding will support creation of scientifically rigorous tools and models that will help advance the deployment of green water infrastructure.

The clean water budget includes a $475 million multi-agency Great Lakes Initiative to protect and clean up the world's largest fresh water lakes through restoration efforts, invasive species control, nonpoint source pollution mitigation and critical habitats protection.

"This is a first year effort," said Jackson. "We will cooperate with federal, state, and local agencies, native nations, and our neighbors to the north in Canada. And we will stress those projects that will show improvement in the water body sooner rather than later."

The nonprofit Alliance for the Great Lakes said that with this budget, "Great Lakes restoration, after decades of effort, is within reach."

"For the first time since the federal Clean Water Act stemmed the damage to the Great Lakes in 1972, the ‘three Ps' are finally aligning to bring the lakes back to life," said Alliance President Cameron Davis. "We now have the policies, the political leadership and - with today's White House budget announcement - the pecuniary investment."

The budget also includes funding for efforts to protect, maintain, and restore the Chesapeake Bay and Anacostia River, Puget Sound, San Francisco Bay, Lake Champlain and other large waterbodies.

To address the growing threat of climate change, EPA will make a $17 million invesment in the greenhouse gas emissions inventory. That involves new analytical tools, upgraded testing capabilities, data reporting and implementation efforts, data management systems, guidance and materials for the regulated community and source measurement technologies as well as coordination with other agencies on research and green initiatives.

The budget also includes an additional $2 million for the EPA to continue to reduce its own greenhouse gas emissions by three percent each year. Jackson said this will be accomplished by increasing clean power purchases and upgrading EPA labs.

The greenhouse gas registry proposal is currently out for public comment, and Jackson says the agency anticipates finalizing that by the end of the year. The other new EPA initiative, the declaration that the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide constitutes an endangerment to public health and welfare, also is out for public comment.

Air pollution from factories in Pittsburgh (Photo by Sara Power)

But not everyone was pleased with the EPA budget allocations.

William Becker, who heads the National Association of Clean Air Agencies, said that while the budget includes an increase in grants for state and local air pollution control agencies of $2.5 million above FY 2009, for a total of $226.6 million, the association's latest study shows that federal grants to state and local air grants should be increased by over $550 million.

"While NACAA appreciates that the President has ended the previous administration's attempts to slash state and local clean air budgets," said Becker, "we are extremely disappointed that the proposed budget does not include increases commensurate with the actual needs of state and local programs."

In recognition of the funding constraints presented by the current economy, NACAA has recommended a modest increase of $46 million in FY 2010, for a total of $270 million.

The EPA is investing $1.3 billion in hazardous waste cleanups like Superfund and Brownfields programs that employ thousands of people and restore properties for economic use.

To fund future clean-up efforts, Jackson said the budget proposes to restore the Superfund tax known as the "polluter pays" policy, which expired in 1995. Beginning in 2011, the Superfund tax is estimated to generate $1 billion of revenue a year, rising to $2 billion a year by 2019.

The budget proposes $175 million for Brownfields program for assessment, clean-up, and job-training grants, and additional $128 million for the Leaking Underground Storage Tank and Underground Storage Tank programs and $18 million for the Oil Spill Response program.

A total of $55 million will go to an enhanced toxics program to screen, assess and reduce chemical risks, including monitoring of air toxics at schools.

This budget supports rigorous, peer-reviewed scientific analyses, with $842 million for science and technology.

Roughly $600 million will go to the EPA's Enforcement and Compliance Assurance program. The funds will cover an increase of 30 civil and criminal enforcement staff "not just to crack down" said Jackson, but to work with businesses to help them comply with the law. Twelve of the 30 new staffers will be positioned to respond to the concerns of poor and disadvantaged communities.

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2009. All rights reserved.