Jay Inslee: Washington's 1st Congressional District
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Inslee's EPA Funding Amendment Passes House
25 July 2003
The House of Representatives today passed an amendment introduced by U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee that will help to better enforce our nations environmental laws by restoring funding for the Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) enforcement division. For the third year in a row, the Bush administration has significantly reduced funds for enforcement personnel at the EPA, which already lacks the resources to take polluters to trial. Inslees amendment to the Veterans Affairs/Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill restores the funding for key EPA enforcement personnel.
Said Inslee, Enforcement of our existing environmental laws is one of the most important roles of the EPA. Without a strong federal enforcement program, the public health protections afforded under our laws will be denied to many of our citizens. Pollution knows no boundaries and our constituents depend on the EPA to deal with interstate pollution and to ensure that corporations and major industrial sectors comply with environmental standards. Enforcement of our environmental laws has produced some spectacular successes in the past, but that record is threatened as the program is slowly being drained of resources by the Bush administration. I am happy the House passed my amendment today, and I look forward to making sure the EPA receives adequate funding in the final bill.
By restoring funding, Inslees amendment seeks to correct the strains placed on the enforcement program, including those related to the Clean Air Act. Since taking office, the Bush Administration has not issued a single judicial complaint for violations of the Clean Air Act, despite its growing backlog of unresolved cases. The EPAs own internal analysis shows that approximately twenty five percent of major facilities are in serious violation of the Clean Air Act, and almost half of these have exceeded toxic discharge permit limits by more than 100 percent.
Inslee's amendment raises by $5.4 million the funds available for enforcement personnel, which would fund fifty four additional full-time enforcement positions. The cost of Inslees amendment is offset by a less than one percent reduction in EPA administrative expenses.