Jackson, joined by the EPA's CFO Barbara Bennett, testified May 16 before the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Dept. of the Interior, Environment and related agencies.
Some of Jackson’s key points are outlined below:
- EPA’s budget request of $8.344 billion focuses on fulfilling EPA’s core mission of protecting public health and the environment;
- EPA’s budget request reflects the President’s commitment to reducing government spending and finding cost savings in a responsible manner while supporting clean air and clean water;
- In some cases, the EPA has had to take a step back from programs. This budget reflects a savings of $50 million through the elimination of several EPA programs and activities that have either met their goals or can be achieved at the state or local level or by other Federal agencies;
- EPA’s budget request recognizes the importance of our partners at the state, local and tribal level. They are at the front lines of implementing our environmental laws like the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act. The largest portion—40% of EPA’s funding request—is directed to the state and tribal Assistance Grants appropriation to support their efforts;
- The budget proposes that a combined $2 billion—25% of EPA’s budget request—goes directly to the states for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. This funding will help support efficient system wide investments and development of water infrastructure in our communities. We are working collaboratively to identify opportunities to fund green infrastructure—projects that can reduce pollution efficiently and less expensively than traditional gray infrastructure;
- EPA’s budget request would fund the protection of the nation’s land and water in local communities, including important waters such as the Narragansett Bay. Reflecting the President’s commitment to restoring and protecting the Great Lakes, this budget requests that Congress maintain the current funding level of $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. This support will continue to be used for collaborative work with partners at the state, local and tribal level, and also with non-profit and municipal groups;
- The budget also requests support for protection of the Chesapeake Bay and several other treasured and economically significant water bodies. The budget reflects the importance of cleaning up contaminated land sites in our communities by requesting $755 million for continued support of the Superfund cleanup programs and maintains the agency’s emergency preparedness and response capabilities;
- EPA’s budget request makes major investments in its science and technology account of $807 million—almost 10% of the total request. This request includes $576 million for research, including $81 million in research grants and fellowships to scientists and universities throughout the country for targeted research as part of the Science to Achieve Results—STAR—program, including children’s health, endocrine disruption and air monitoring research. As part of this request, EPA includes funding increases into key areas that include green infrastructure and hydraulic fracturing.
- Natural gas is an important resource that is abundant in the U.S., but we must make sure that the ways we extract it do not risk the safety of public water supplies. This budget continues EPA’s ongoing congressionally directed hydraulic fracturing study, which we have taken great steps to ensure is independent, peer reviewed and based on strong and scientifically defensible data. Building on these ongoing efforts, this budget requests $14 million in total to work collaboratively with the United States Geological Survey, the Department of Energy and other partners to assess questions regarding hydraulic fracturing. Strong science means finding the answers to tough questions, and EPA’s request does that.
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