EPA Budget Cuts: The Quiet Assault BACKGROUND BRIEFING EDF ACTION 2017
Senate Draft Eliminates EPA Txic Chemical Prtectins & Cuts Cre Functins The Quiet Assault: EPA funding bill bypasses bipartisan debate Bypassing a public hearing r bipartisan cmmittee markup where Senatrs culd penly debate and amend funding needs fr the Envirnmental Prtectin Agency (EPA), the Senate Apprpriatins Cmmittee s leadership released a prpsal just befre the Thanksgiving hliday that wuld cut the Envirnmental Prtectin Agency s budget fr Fiscal Year 2018. The budget will nw be negtiated in backrm meetings with the Administratin and Cngressinal leaders as they seek t meet the December 8 deadline. The Senate bill, like the Huse bill befre it, represents a quiet assault n the health f vulnerable children and senirs by undermining EPA s ability t carry ut its mst basic public health and envirnmental missins. (During his campaign, President Trump pledged t his industry allies during his campaign t reduce EPA dwn t little bits. ) It delivers a big win t the chemical industry by eliminating a key safety prgram that assesses health threats t families frm txic chemicals, and gives a gift t the fssil fuels industry by cutting the Greenhuse Gas reprting prgram and reducing EPA research n alternative energy surces. Specifically, the Senate bill wuld undermine chemical safety by eliminating the EPA s fundatinal Integrated Risk Infrmatin System prgram and cutting its chemicals safety fr research. It wuld als weaken EPA s capacity t enfrce envirnmental laws; keep air clean thrugh research and prgrams including tracking f greenhuse gas emissins, engage in research t keep water safe, and eliminate public health risks facing America s mst disadvantaged cmmunities. The EPA is already stretched perilusly thin by an perating budget that has been reduced t near its lwest pint since the 1970 s (in real dllars) despite numerus new public health respnsibilities it has been assigned by Cngress ver thse years. Hw the Senate Bill Wuld Threaten Children and Public Health Integrated Risk Infrmatin System: Eliminated A Public Health Debacle EPA s Integrated Risk Infrmatin System (IRIS) prgram prvides fundatinal assessments f chemical txicity needed t make wide range science-based health decisins and t take actins t prtect American families frm everyday chemicals arund their hmes and in their cmmunities (EDF fact sheet here.). The entire EPA, as well as agencies and states acrss the cuntry, depends n IRIS analyses t: 2
understand hazards that chemicals pse t children and families advise states, cmmunities and tribes during public health emergencies ntify cmmunities abut cntaminated drinking water and take steps t make it safe again make critical decisins abut Superfund and hazardus waste clean-ups, prvide reviews and risk assessments under the Clean Air Act and Txic Substances Cntrl Act The IRIS prgram wuld be eliminated, and at best a small fractin f its respnsibilities and nly ne-third f its funding wuld be re-allcated t anther EPA ffice that is already busy. Eliminating the IRIS Prgram wuld hbble the EPA s ability t meet its bligatins t mnitr and regulate chemicals under a variety f laws. The relatively mdest prgram cst ($15.3 millin) suggests that the impetus fr destrying it has mre t d with pleasing the chemical industry than with achieving budget savings. Chemical Safety fr Sustainability Research Prgram: 10% reductin frm FY17 spending Under the prgram, EPA scientists and their partners embrace the principles f green chemistry t prduce safer chemicals; imprve the safe prductin, use, and dispsal f chemicals; and design new tls t manage chemical risks. Office f Enfrcement: 10% reductin frm FY17 spending The EPA s Office f Enfrcement is American families strngest defense against plluters wh seek t ignre laws set in place t prtect ur air, water and sil. The ffice hlds plluters accuntable by investigating vilatins, reaching settlements with plluters, and launching civil and criminal actin when necessary. Already, the ffice is significantly under-funded and under-staffed. The Pllutin Preventin Act f 1990 requires EPA t have at least 200 criminal investigatrs. But there are currently fewer than 150 t deal with tens f thusands f businesses and numerus individual plluters. By reducing the ffice s budget further, Senate Republicans are tacitly reassuring plluters that they will nt be firmly held t standards set frth by laws that were instituted t keep cmmunities safe and health. 3
Clean Air Prgrams: 10% reductin frm FY17 spending Fr decades, the Clean Air Act has helped states and cmmunities make histric strides in reducing air pllutin, including mnitring f greenhuse gases, harmful particulates, zne, lead and ther pllutants. The EPA s wrk under the Act helps supprt air quality mnitring t detect unhealthy Cde Red days when the cncentratin f pllutants in the air culd be harmful t everyne, especially vulnerable ppulatins such as children, the elderly, r peple with health cnditins like asthma. Greenhuse Gas (GHG) reprting prgrams track emissins frm facilities that are the largest surce f greenhuse gas emissins in the United States. Cngress wuld cut 10-15% frm versight and research f GHG prgrams that help track emissins frm fuel and industrial gas suppliers, s that businesses and cmmunities can understand the greatest threats, identify pprtunities t cut pllutin and develp cmmn-sense climate plicies. Air and Energy Prductin Research is critical t understanding the health and envirnmental impacts f using energy surces such as petrleum and bifuels-fuels derived frm plant matter, which is needed t assess csts, benefits and risks in rder make smart chices abut energy resurces. Research t Keep Water Safe: 10% reductin frm FY17 spending EPA s Safe and Sustainable Water Resurces research prgram prvides science and innvative technlgies t keep ur waterways and drinking water safe frm chemical, physical and bilgical threats. Envirnmental Justice: 10% reductin frm FY17 spending Since the cuntry s prest regins suffer disprprtinately frm pllutin effects dirty water, plluted air and hazardus waste and txic chemicals in the sil, EPA s Envirnmental Justice ffice wrks t eliminate public health risks facing America s mst disadvantaged cmmunities. Envirnmental Justice Prgrams are critical t imprving the health and quality f life fr families that are fcused n their next paycheck, rather than n the pllutin that seeps int their water, fd and air. Other Significant Prgram Cuts Research: Safe and healthy cmmunities: 10% reductin frm FY17 spending Radn, lead and ther infrmatin exchange / Outreach: 9.3% reductin frm FY17 spending Children and ther sensitive ppulatins: Agency crdinatin: 10% reductin frm FY17 spending Legal/science/regulatr/ecnmic review: 10% reductin frm FY17 spending IT / Data Management / Security: 11.8% reductin frm FY17 spending 4
Hw We Gt Here In May, President Trump and EPA Administratr Sctt Pruitt prpsed requested a 30% cut t EPA deeper than any ther department r agency and taking the agency s funding dwn t its 1970 s equivalent. The Huse f Representatives vted n its versin f the budget in September, including cuts t weaken EPA s ability t investigate and bring legal actins against crprate plluters. It als targeted prgrams that help enfrce clean air, water and ther antipllutin effrts that prtect the public health. The gvernment s Fiscal Year 2018 technically began n Octber 1, but the Cngress and President agreed t carry ver the FY2017 budget until a new agreement culd be arrived at by December 8 (the fiscal cliff ). In its Nvember 20 Chairman s mark, the Senate Apprpriatins Cmmittee restred funds t sme prgrams that President Trump and the Huse sught t slash, but it went alng with many f them and even added the eliminatin f the Integrated Risk Infrmatin System. What it Means The White Huse, Huse and Senate budget cuts all wuld require EPA t cntinue t lay ff public health experts, scientists, envirnmental engineers as well as staff that manage grants t state and lcal cmmunities. They wuld als make deep cuts t the cre missins f EPA, by slashing the agency s science and technlgy wrk that helps states and lcal gvernments fight and clean up pllutin, and by cutting funding fr the ffices and persnnel that d the day-t-day wrk f prtecting Americans health and safety. Says Senatr Tm Udall, Ranking Member f the Subcmmittee n the Interir & Envirnment: I deeply regret that we weren t able t cme tgether and prduce a bipartisan bill I can t lk past the deep and damaging cuts t the EPA budget in this bill that put public health at risk. And I can't ignre that it takes aim at the laws that prtect ur envirnment and ur cmmunities. 5