By Judy Sheahan
August 7, 2006

CORRECTION:

The article, “Senate Appropriations Committee Cuts Clean Water State Revolving Fund,” in the July 3, 2006 issue incorrectly said that funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund was reduced by $110 million. It was a $262 million reduction. The article should have appeared as follows.

The Senate Interior Appropriations Committee passed the Environmental Protection Agency’s annual budget June 29. The $7.529 billion budget cuts $110 million from the current fiscal year. The budget also included a $262 million reduction for the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund (CWSRF), giving only $688 million for the CWSRF. This is a large reduction from the current level of $950 million, and former levels including an all-time high of $1.35 billion just four years ago. The budget number approved is similar to House-approved levels and what President Bush had proposed.

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

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.

Mayors are urged to contact their Senators and Representatives and ask them to restore funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.