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The Biden Administration has released its Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Proposal for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”). EPA Administrator Regan in a March 11th news release states that the Budget Request totals $11 billion.
The publication Inside EPA states that this proposed Budget Request constitutes:
- 8% increase in funding.
- Addition of 2,000 employees.
Referenced in Administrator Regan’s statement describing the Budget Request are EPA activities such as:
- Advance environmental justice ($1.5 billion for environmental justice-related programs).
- Addressing climate change ($2.9 billion in climate-related programs, addressing greenhouse gas emission, building resilience).
- Clean air activities ($1.5 billion for the Office of Air and Radiation, which is stated to be an increase of $690 million since the beginning of the Biden Administration).
- Replacement of all lead pipes ($101 million for two EPA grant programs dedicated to remediating lead contamination in drinking water).
- Investment in critical water infrastructure ($2.4 billion for the State Revolving Funds for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure which is characterized as an increase of $1 billion over the current levels).
- Chemicals and protecting public health and the environment (references the Toxic Substances Control Act and budget of $132 million for what is described as core capacity/modernizing information technology, and $208 million for Brownfields support).
- Build back capacity to carry out EPA’s core mission (addition of 2,000 Full Time Equivalents relative to the 2023 Operating Budget for a total of more than 17,000 Full Time Equivalents).
- Enforcement (provide $260 million for civil enforcement, $172 million for compliance monitoring, and $77 million for criminal enforcement).
- State and Tribal partners support (investment of $1.5 billion in categorical grants, which is characterized as a $304 million increase).
The Biden Administration’s EPA Budget Request is of course subject to negotiation with United States Congress and will change. The Republicans have proposed significant cuts to EPA budget. As a result, it is unclear what the final budget will constitute for EPA.
A link to the EPA Administrator’s statement and details on the Proposed Budget can be downloaded here.
