Newsroom
All News Releases By Date
ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH PROTECTIONS CUT FROM EPA BUDGET BY HOUSE COMMITTEE
Release Date: 06/09/2000
Contact Information:
FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, JUNE 9, 2000
ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH PROTECTIONS
CUT FROM EPA BUDGET BY HOUSE COMMITTEE
The House Appropriations Committee on June 7, approved a cut of nearly 10 percent to the Environmental Protection Agency’s basic programs, an amount that falls far short of meeting the Clinton-Gore Administration’s commitment to protect the nation’s public health and environment.
“This Administration continues to build strong environmental and public health programs that are achieving real results. If these misguided cuts are allowed to stand, EPA’s ability to do our job for the American people to enforce the environmental laws of this country will be seriously threatened,” said EPA Administrator Carol M. Browner.
Closely following earlier subcommittee action, the full committee approved spending cuts that will directly affect the Agency’s ability to protect public health and the environment through sound science, environmental enforcement and programs to provide American communities cleaner water, cleaner air and an improved quality of life.
Continuing reductions for Superfund cleanups, the Committee voted to delay the cleanup of toxic waste sites and refused to endorse a number of important initiatives proposed by the President, including $50 million to clean up the Great Lakes -- the drinking water source for 25 million Americans -- and efforts to build a strong information system between EPA and the States. The Committee failed to address the challenge of global warming by cutting in half the support for the Administration’s Climate Change Technology Initiative.
The Committee also left intact an anti-environmental rider that would prevent EPA from fulfilling its responsibility under the Clean Water Act to work with states to develop waterbody-specific pollution cleanup plans.
In addition, the Committee inserted language in the bill report calling on EPA to delay a plan to reduce smog and improve air quality for more than 100 million Americans living in the eastern half of the United States.
R-89 # # #
Search this collection of releases | or search all news releases
View selected historical press releases from 1970 to 1998 in the EPA History website.
