The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) FY 2016 budget proposal of $8.6 billion is $452 million above the agency’s enacted funding level for FY 2015.
Many feel that this budget shows a renewed commitment to making the investments needed to protect public health and the environment.
2016 budget highlights include:
• Protecting and improving air quality for all Americans and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and develop adaptation strategies to address climate change (Up $120 million from FY 2015).
• Protecting and restoring America’s waters to ensure that drinking water is safe and sustainably managed and that aquatic ecosystems sustain fish, plants, wildlife and other biota, as well as economic, recreational and subsistence activities (Up $70 million from FY 2015).
• Cleaning up communities, advancing sustainable development and protecting disproportionately impacted low-income and minority communities from the releases of harmful substances (Up $178 million from FY 2015).
• Ensuring the safety of chemicals in the environment, reducing the risk and preventing pollution at the source (Up $47 million from FY 2015).
• Protecting human health and the environment through vigorous and targeted civil and criminal enforcement and use of next-generation compliance strategies and tools to improve compliance with environmental laws (Up $66 million from FY 2015).
What do you think about EPA’s proposed FY 2016 budget of $2.3 billion for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds? Be sure to take our latest poll to share your opinion.