By Judy Sheahan
July 3, 2006

The Senate Interior Appropriations Committee June 29 passed the Environmental Protection Agency’s annual budget. The budget included a $110 million reduction in funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund, currently at $950 million. Just four years ago, the program operated at a level of $1.35 billion. The budget number approved is similar to House-approved levels and what the President had proposed.

Conference of Mayors Executive Director Tom Cochran wrote the members of the Committee urging them to restore funding. “Although the Conference of Mayors realizes that federal resources are constrained,” Cochran wrote, “the CWSRF is too valuable of a program to cut this drastically.”

The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund fared better with relatively level funding of $842 million. Also faring well were provisions for complying with the Clean Air Act at $220 million and $163.2 million for the EPA Brownfields program.

The Senate is expected to take up the EPA Appropriations Bill when they get back from the July 4 recess but before the August recess. Mayors are urged to contact their Senators and Representatives and ask them to restore funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.