Release date: 02/05/2007
Contact Information: Jennifer Wood, (202) 564-4355 / wood.jennifer@epa.gov
Enesta Jones, (202) 564-4355 / jones.enesta@epa.gov
En espaƱol: Lina Younes, (202) 564-4355 / younes.lina@epa.gov
(Washington, D.C. - Feb. 5, 2007) Pointing to 36 years of progress under both Republican and Democratic administrations, EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson today released his agency's $7.2 billion fiscal year 2008 budget. The new budget emphasizes using more citizen-partners as EPA shifts into the next phase of environmental progress – the green culture.
"As our nation shifts to a green culture, Americans are realizing that environmental responsibility is everyone's responsibility. Today, EPA has 300 million citizen-partners in our efforts to accelerate the pace of environmental protection," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "President Bush's budget request will fund EPA's role as our country enters this next phase of environmental progress."
The proposed 2008 spending plan includes $549.5 million for enforcement operations, the largest amount ever dedicated to that agency responsibility. It is a $9.1 million increase over the fiscal year 2007 amount.
This budget also features a major effort to restore, improve and protect four of the nation's most important water assets.
Chesapeake Bay: An additional $2 million, for a total of $28.8 million, to build on the continuing efforts of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, increase the pace of restoration, and implement the most cost-effective nutrient and sediment controls and key habitat restoration strategies.
Puget Sound: $1 million to focus on the highest-priority environmental challenges such as improving water quality, lifting shellfish harvest restrictions, and cleaning up contaminated sediments.
Gulf of Mexico: $4.5 million to assist the Gulf States and other stakeholders in developing a framework for restoring and protecting the Gulf. EPA is working with 12 other federal agencies and five states in the Gulf of Mexico Alliance to implement the 2004 U.S. Ocean Action Plan.
Great Lakes: $56.8 million to continue working with states and local communities to reduce PCB concentration by 25 percent in predatory fish and keep monitored beaches open 95 percent of the time during the summer season.
The budget also requests an additional $687.5 million for clean water grants and $842.2 million for drinking water grants.
With a focus on improving air quality, the president's budget includes:
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