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FY2010 Budget: EPA Receives Much-Needed Funding Increase
Posted by
Mae Stevens
on
May 13, 2009
On May 12, 2009, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson testified before the Senate Environment and Public Works committee regarding the President’s FY10 budget proposal. The President has requested $10.5 billion for the EPA, representing a 37 percent increase greater than the FY09 budget and the highest level ever for the EPA. After severely decreased budgets during the previous administration, PSR supports the President’s request and is encouraged by the apparent dedication by the administration to carry out EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment from pollution.
Some of the major environmental protection priorities addressed in the budget of particular interest to PSR:
- Funding to combat global warming, including funding a greenhouse gas emissions inventory and cap and trade programs.
- An increase in funding to fund a toxics program to screen, assess hazard level of and reduce the chemical risks on more than 6,750 organic chemicals in the U.S.
- An increase in the Computational Toxicology Research funding to provide detailed hazard assessment profiles on thousands of chemicals of concern and human exposure potential.
- A $5 million increase to enable the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) to increase assessment production and reduce a backlog of assessments for chemicals previously identified as a priority.
- Includes $3.3 million for air toxics research, to study their effects of human health, and to support the development and implementation of state, local and tribal air quality plans. The budget also includes funding of support for states to monitor air quality outside of select schools, risk assessment tools, and increased staffing in EPA’s regional office to work on air quality issues.
- An increase in funding for research and development programs, solidifying the administration’s commitment to scientific integrity at the agency.
For the full content of Administrator Jackson’s testimony, click here.
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