Take Action: Don’t Cut EPA’s budget

Once again the Environmental Protection Agency is facing the real possibility of deep cuts to its 2012 budget and threats to its efficacy. A House Appropriations subcommittee approved a draft 2012 budget that proposes deep cuts to the EPA and other programs that protect natural resources in the United States. Write to your representative today to request necessary funding for the EPA to do its work preventing climate change and ensuring a healthy environment.

The Appropriations subcommittee has funded the EPA at $7.1 billion, which is $1.5 billion less ($18%) than its current budget and $1.8 billion less than the Obama administration’s request. Nearly $1 billion of these proposed cuts were made from the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Loan programs, which help fund state and local water infrastructure improvements nationwide. The additional cuts are made from grants to states for environmental programs, restoration initiatives, and funding to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

Along side these budget cuts, the House is also including several policy changes to the EPA, including a one year delay of EPA regulations on carbon dioxide from stationary industrial sources, prohibiting the EPA from regulating coal ash as hazardous waste, and rules to promote offshore oil drilling in Alaska.

Please contact your representative today. Ask her or him to vote against any appropriations bill that reduces EPA funding or limits the EPA’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas pollution. Ask them to affirm their support for sensible, effective efforts to protect our environment.

Some of the EPA cuts include:

• $967 million cut in the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund

• $102 million cut in grants for state implementation of environmental programs.

• $46 million cur in requested funding to regulate greenhouse gases

• $422 million cure in EPA operations and administration

• $76 million cut in EPA regulatory programs

• $49 million cut in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

• $8 million cut in Chesapeake Bay Restoration Initiative.

• $4 million cut in the Puget Sound Restoration Initiative.

House Subcommittee draft text of Fiscal Year 2012 Interior-Environment Appropriations Bill