At a news conference today, Earthjustice highlighted that clean water protection programs took the biggest hit in the EPA’s proposed FY 2003 budget. Released Monday by President Bush, the 2003 budget proposal also shifts environmental law enforcement responsibilities from the federal government to the states. Such an effort threatens effective and uniform enforcement of national environmental laws, according to Joan Mulhern, senior legislative counsel for Earthjustice.
“Cutting clean water funding and shifting more enforcement responsibilities to the states were among the most controversial aspects of President Bush’s environmental budget last year, and they were rebuked by both Republicans and Democrats in Congress,” said Mulhern. “Frankly, I am surprised that the administration would resurrect these unwise shifts in priorities when they were so soundly rejected by Congress during the last session.”
The total EPA budget request of $7.7 billion for FY 2003 is less than the $8 billion enacted by Congress in 2002 for the environmental agency, but more than the administration’s 2002 request of $7.3 billion. However, under the proposed 2003 budget, water programs would receive approximately $3.2 billion, compared to the $3.7 billion level funded by Congress for 2002. The cut of more than $500 million for clean water is significant, according to Earthjustice.
“Protection of clean water consistently ranks among Americans’ top concern for their families’ health as well as for the well-being of the natural environment,” said Mulhern. “The Bush administration’s proposed cuts that would reduce money available for treatment of wastewater discharges and other water pollution at a time when the need for safe water funding is growing is a big step in the wrong direction. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. While the law has cleaned up many of our worst pollution problems, 40 percent of the nation’s waters are still not safe for fishing, swimming and other uses. The administration should be increasing – not decreasing – funding for cleaner water.”
The EPA’s budget proposal also includes $15 million for an enforcement grant program for the states. Last year, Congress rejected shifting $25 million from federal enforcement efforts to create a similar, unauthorized enforcement grant program for states.
“This year the administration is not cutting the overall funding levels for EPA’s enforcement program to give money to individual states – which is good – but it is clear that the effort to shift more responsibility to the states is still underway. This is a dangerous trend that threatens clean air, clean water, and our communities,” said Mulhern. “The proposition that states do as good of a job at enforcing national environmental laws as the EPA is questionable at best. There are no performance measures for states to be held accountable for enforcement under this proposed new program.”
Katika mkutano wa waandishi wa habari wa leo, Earthjustice ilionyesha kuwa mipango ya ulinzi wa maji safi ilichukua hit kubwa katika bajeti ya EPA ya mwaka wa fedha wa 2003. Rais Bush ametoa pendekezo la bajeti ya mwaka 2003 ambalo linabadilisha jukumu la kutekeleza sheria za mazingira kutoka kwa serikali ya shirikisho hadi majimbo. "Hatua hiyo ya kutaka kuondoa sheria za mazingira nchini Marekani imesababisha ""madhara makubwa"" kwa sheria za mazingira nchini humo, alisema Joan Mulhern, mshauri wa Earthjustice." "Kupunguza fedha za maji safi na kuhamisha majukumu zaidi ya utekelezaji kwa majimbo yalikuwa miongoni mwa mambo yenye utata zaidi ya bajeti ya mazingira ya Rais Bush mwaka jana, na walikaripiwa na Republican na Democrat katika Bunge, "Mulhern alisema." "Kwa uwazi, mimi kushangazwa kwamba utawala ingekuwa kufufua mabadiliko haya unwise katika vipaumbele wakati wao walikuwa hivyo soundly kukataliwa na Bunge wakati wa kikao cha mwisho. "" jumla ya ombi la bajeti ya $ 7.7 bilioni kwa mwaka wa fedha 2003 ni chini ya $ 8 bilioni iliyopitishwa na Bunge katika 2002 kwa ajili ya shirika la mazingira, lakini zaidi ya ombi la utawala wa 2002 ya $ 7.3 bilioni." Hata hivyo, chini ya bajeti iliyopendekezwa ya 2003, mipango ya maji itapokea takriban dola bilioni 3.2 ikilinganishwa na kiwango cha dola bilioni 3.7 kilichotolewa na Bunge kwa ajili ya 2002. "Kutoka kwa bajeti ya mwaka huu, zaidi ya dola milioni 500 za maji safi zimepunguzwa kwa kiasi kikubwa, kulingana na shirika la Earthjustice.""" "Ulinzi wa maji safi daima ni miongoni mwa Wamarekani wasiwasi wa juu kwa afya ya familia zao kama vile kwa ustawi wa mazingira ya asili", alisema Mulhern. "Usimamizi wa Bush uliopendekeza kupunguzwa kwa fedha ambazo zitatumia kupunguza matumizi ya maji taka na uchafuzi mwingine wa maji wakati ambapo uhitaji wa fedha za maji salama unazidi kuongezeka ni hatua kubwa katika mwelekeo mbaya.""" Mwaka huu ni miaka 30 tangu sheria ya maji safi itekelezwe. Ingawa sheria hiyo imepunguza matatizo mengi ya uchafuzi wa mazingira, asilimia 40 ya maji ya nchi bado si salama kwa ajili ya uvuvi, kuogelea na matumizi mengine. "Mapendekezo ya bajeti ya EPA pia yanajumuisha $ 15 milioni kwa mpango wa ruzuku ya utekelezaji kwa majimbo.""" Mwaka jana, Bunge lilikataa kuhamisha dola milioni 25 kutoka kwa juhudi za kutekeleza sheria za shirikisho kuunda mpango kama huo wa ruzuku ya kutekeleza sheria kwa majimbo. "Mwaka huu utawala haukupunguza viwango vya jumla vya ufadhili kwa programu ya utekelezaji wa EPA kutoa pesa kwa majimbo ya mtu binafsi, ambayo ni nzuri, lakini ni wazi kwamba juhudi za kuhamisha jukumu zaidi kwa majimbo bado zinaendelea. """ Hii ni mwelekeo hatari ambao unatishia hewa safi, maji safi, na jamii zetu, <unk> alisema Mulhern. <unk> pendekezo kwamba majimbo kufanya kama nzuri ya kazi katika kutekeleza sheria za mazingira ya kitaifa kama EPA ni ya mashaka katika bora. Hakuna vipimo vya utendaji kwa majimbo kuwa na jukumu la utekelezaji chini ya mpango huu mpya uliopendekezwa. <unk>