Democrats and EPA Warn that Sequester will Hurt Environment

Date: February 18, 2013

Source: News Room

House Democrats and the EPA, which faces a $700 million across-the-board funding cut under the budget sequester slated to take effect March 1, say it will harm a wide range of environmental programs by delaying permits for new industrial facilities, reduce oversight and enforcement of environmental laws, limit cleanups of waste sites and hinder risk assessments of toxic chemicals. Deputy EPA Administrator Bob Perciasepe wrote in a Feb. 6 letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee that the cuts would likely first target contracts with third parties, followed by grants and agency programs, saying they "will force us to make cuts we believe will directly undercut our congressionally-mandated mission of ensuring Americans have clean air, clean water and clean land." In the letter, he lists a host of air, water, waste, toxics and other programs that would be impaired under sequestration. For example the agency would have to cancel 1,000 inspections of regulated facilities' Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act compliance and would have to end 100 projects aimed at preserving or cleaning up water supplies and protected waterways.

House Appropriations Committee Democrats in a Feb. 13 report echoed those concerns and said "EPA and other agencies would be forced to furlough essential staff as a result of cuts to their personnel accounts," leading to wide-ranging harms to environmental protection, grants, monitoring and cleanup programs. The House report also says the sequester would impact the Obama administration's support for the development of renewable energy sources. It also says that the US Army Corps of Engineers, which is slated for $255 million in cuts, would face difficulties issuing new permits.

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