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Great Lakes
Article:
Bush Administration Proposes Sweeping Cuts to Environmental
Enforcement, Water Quality Monitoring, and Important
Water Quality Programs
Clean Water Network
04/12/2002
Last Monday the Bush Administration proposed a budget
for Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 that would seriously cripple
further progress towards meeting the goals of the Clean
Water Act. Though many of the proposed cuts are not
as drastic as the cuts proposed by Bush last year, the
clean water budget proposed by Bush would decrease our
understanding of water quality problems, seriously undermine
environmental enforcement efforts, and hamper progress
being made and future success of critical clean water
programs.
Below is the list of the Network's top clean water budget
concerns. Over the next few months the Network will be
educating Members of Congress about the importance of
these programs, and we will be circulating sign-on letters
for you to sign on to. For now, the most important thing
you can do is to get the word out in your local and state
press calling on your Members of Congress to restore funds.
Most likely your state paper printed the Associated Press
article on the budget, but did not include a description
of the cuts to clean water. We are encouraging all Network
members to submit a letter to the editor this week.
Below you will find a sample letter. Please tailor it
to fit the clean water conditions in your state. OR
** Use our Media Guide to search for reporters in your
area and to directly e-mail them this letter to the editor.
It will only take you a few minutes to reach your local
press! Go to capwiz.com/cwn/dbq/media.
Call the Network for more information on the budget at
202-289-2421. To see EPA's buget, go to http://www.epa.gov/ocfo/budget/budget.htm.
It should be noted that some good things did come out
of Bush's budget. Bush proposed reducing the Army Corps
of Engineers (the Corps) budget for several of their
most environmentally harmful projects. We will have to
see, however, if Bush will stands his ground when Congress
considers theCorps' budget. Members will definitely
add pork barrel projects for their state to the Corps
budget. Additionally, the Administration did propose
a $300 million floodplain mapping project to be completed
by the the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This
type of project has been desperately needed for clean
water, wetlands protection and flood protection for many
years and is a big step in the right direction.
Top Clean Water Network Bush FY03 Budget Concerns:
1. Bush proposed a $15 million grant program for state
enforcement. To pay for this program, EPA will have to
reduce its enforcement staff by about 200 full-time equivalents.
This large cut is the result of vacancies not filled
last year as well as additional cuts to parts of the
enforcement budget this year. When Bush tried to cut enforcement
last year, Congress rejected a $25 million state enforcement
grant program and the move to decrease the number of
EPA enforcement employees. Congress reinstated full funding
for EPA enforcement personnel. However, in FY02 vacancies
were never filled and additional cuts were proposed this
year.
2. Bush proposed to cut the Clean Water State Revolving
Fund (SRF) by $138 million, a 10 percent reduction(proposed
$1.2 million in FY03 compared to the $1.35 billion enacted
by Congress in FY02.) The State Revolving Fund is used
to provide low-cost loans to communities for a variety
of programs to clean up impaired water bodies and protect
pristine waters. Under the SRF, states have considerable
ability to choose which water infrastructure and water
quality projects are priorities. Since its creation
in 1987, states have used these federal funds to help
improve water quality.
3. Bush proposed a $21 million voluntary watershed initiative
doled out in competitive grants to the states. Rather
than investing dollars in a new, voluntary-based program,
we should first ensure that the existing, severely underfunded
watershed program, the Total Maximum Daily Load program,
receives substantial boosts. Voluntary programs though
potentially beneficial to water quality, are not a substitute
for meeting the requirements for watershed clean-up plans
or TMDLs under the
Clean Water Act.
4. Bush proposed cutting Section 106 grants by $12 million
(proposed $180 million compared to FY02 enacted level
of $192 million). This program provides funding for the
states including pollution control activities, surveillance,
monitoring, enforcement, and advice and assistance to
local agencies. This program should be increased substantially,
not decreased, to provide states with assistance to meet
TMDL deadlines and to perform water quality monitoring.
5. Bush proposed $850 million for Safe Drinking Water
State Revolving Fund-the same amount appropriated by Congress
last year but $27 million more than Bush proposed last
year. EPA says they are requesting $27 million more
than requested last year to help communities comply withthe
arsenic standard.
6. Bush proposed significantly cutting water quality
monitoring and streamgage activities under the U.S. Geological
Survey. He proposed a $5 million cut to the National
Water Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA),the nation's
only national water quality monitoring program; a $2
million cut in streamgaging activities which would result
in 130 less streamgages nationwide; elimination of the
Toxic Substances Hydrology Program which tracks the movement
of toxic substances and identifies emerging clean water
concerns, and elimination of the Water Resources Research
Institute which would end research collaboration with
200 universities.
7. Bush proposed cutting the National Estuary Program
by $5.3 million, or 21% from FY02 levels. Congress authorized
$35 million and Bush proposes $19.2 million. Less than
$1 million would be available for eachof the 28 "nationally
significant" estuaries.
8. Bush proposed $10 million for Beaches Environmental
Assessment and Coastal Health Act (BEACH) grants to states
to help them improve water quality monitoring and public
notification programs under the BEACH Act. The Act, however,
authorized $30 million for these grants and we call on
Bush and Congress to fully fund this Act.
SAMPLE LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Dear Editor,
This year the Clean Water Act turns 30. Since the Act
was passed in 1972 huge strides have been made in cleaning
up our Nation's waters. As we've tackled the obvious
eye-sores, less obvious clean water problems have been
on the rise. Last Monday President Bush had the opportunity
to put our country on the path to cleaner water and a
more healthy and sustainable environment and economy.
In countless polls voters say clean water is a top concern.
However, instead of choosing to move us forward on the
path to clean water, Bush has decided to leave us treading
water.
In his 2003 budget, Bush ignored the concerns of the
American people and chose to instead decrease our understanding
of water quality problems, seriously undermine environmental
enforcement efforts, and hamper clean water progress
being made at the state level. He is proposing to weaken
environmental enforcement by cutting the enforcement budget
at the Environmental Protection Agency and taking 200
environmental cops off the beat. He is proposing to
cut programs that provide critical monies and technical
expertise to state agencies charged with keeping their
waters clean. He is even proposing to side-step the letter
of the law to develop voluntary programs to replace requirements
under the Clean Water Act. I call on Representatives
[INSERT NAMES OF YOUR REPS HERE] and Senators [INSERT
NAMES OF SENATORS HERE] to restore these cuts to our vital
clean water programs.
Clean Water Network listserves are for CWN members only
and messages are intended solely for those environmental
activists.
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