Carol M. Browner Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Oral Testimony for the House VA, HUD and Independent Agencies Appropriations Committee on the FY 2000 EPA Budget Washington, D.C. April 13-14, 1999

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, I am very pleased to be here today to present the President's Fiscal Year 2000 Budget request for the Environmental Protection Agency. The President's $7.2 billion request for the EPA continues this Administration's efforts to protect public health and the environment and provide states and communities with new, innovative funding tools to help build strong, healthy communities for the 21st century.

Accompanying me today are many of the Senior Managers at the Agency, including the Agency's Chief Financial Officer, Sallyanne Harper, beside me at the table.

We at EPA are very proud that Sallyanne Harper has won a prestigious award from the Joint Financial Management Improvement Program. The 1998 Donald L. Scantlebury Award recognizes senior financial managers who have been responsible for significant economies, efficiencies, and improvements in federal, state, or local government.  Sallyanne Harper has done a great job for us at EPA, and I ask you to join me in congratulating her.

Chairman Walsh, I'd like to congratulate you on your Chairmanship of this important Subcommittee. You have shown leadership on issues important to the nation and your district. I know you will be able to carry that work forward in this new capacity.

I would also like to congratulate Ranking Member Mollohan on his new position on the Subcommittee. I look forward to working with both of you in your new leadership roles, along with every other member of this committee.

Over the past six years, we have worked together to pass important environmental laws to carry out our common goal of stronger environmental protection.

For instance, this year, as a result of the Safe Drinking Water Amendments of 1996, we estimate that 88 percent of the American population will receive drinking water from community water systems that meet all health-based standards.

Thanks to the resources provided by the Committee, we have made significant progress on many of the key action items in the Clean Water Action Plan and recently announced a joint strategy with USDA to protect waterways from non-point source pollution from animal feeding operations.

We are making significant progress cleaning up toxic waste sites. As of the end of 1998, 585 Superfund toxic waste sites have been cleaned up, and an additional 85 construction completions will occur in 1999.In addition, 250 communities have benefitted from more than $46 million in grants to revitalize brownfields and put idle land back into productive use.

And finally, because of the Clean Air Act, approximately 164 million Americans are breathing cleaner air.

Our Fiscal Year 2000 Budget, in the tradition of every previous budget submitted by this Administration, is based on what the President and Vice President have proved over the past six years   that we don't have to choose between environmental protection and economic growth. A strong economy and a healthy environment are goals in concert, not conflict.

Today, we have some of the toughest environmental and public health protections in the world, and our economy is not only strong, it is soaring. Building on this record of success, the Clinton-Gore 2000 budget request charts a new course to meet the environmental challenges of the coming century.

This budget is about neighborhoods -- protecting where we live and keeping our communities healthy, strong, and prosperous. And its about our families and improving their quality of life, especially for our children.

First, the President and Vice President have announced a new Livability Agenda to help communities grow in ways that ensure a high quality of life and strong, sustainable economic growth.

A key part of the Livability Agenda is an innovative financing tool called Better America Bonds. This plan offers a creative way for states and communities, through zero-interest bonding authority, to preserve open space, create parks, clean up brownfields and improve water quality by purchasing and preserving wetlands or creating forest buffers to protect streams -- or all those things together.

This is not a "big government" plan. The federal government will not ad one square inch of land to its inventory. All decisions will be made locally by state, tribal and local governments.

Second, the President's budget includes $200 million for the Clean Air Partnership Fund -- another new tool to help communities help themselves. It will promote cost-effective, innovative technology to help communities reduce soot, smog, toxic air pollution, and greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.

Third, EPA will take a leading role in the Administration's important effort to fight the growing problem of childhood asthma. Five million children suffer from this debilitating disease, and the incidence is rising.  This budget includes $22.2 million for education, outreach, and monitoring to reduce children's exposure to environmental toxins that can exacerbate asthma.

In addition to these three new initiatives, the President's budget also continues our work on the nation's other environmental and public health priorities.

The President's budget allocates $651 million to further implement the Clean Water Action Plan -- the national blueprint announced last year to finish the job of restoring and protecting our nation's rivers, lakes, and coastal waters.

To help build drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities in communities across our country, the President's budget provides $1.6 billion for state revolving fund programs.

To help communities address the pressing problem of polluted runoff, the President proposes an important, new funding mechanism, which would allow states to use up to 20% of their Clean Water SRF funds, or as much as $160 million in FY 2000, as grants for non-point source projects, estuary management and other innovative water quality projects.

To continue to clean up toxic waste sites and blighted urban areas, the budget invests $1.5 billion in Superfund, of which almost $92 million will go directly to communities to revitalize brownfields.

Of special importance in this budget proposal is our request to increase the Agency's Operating Programs by five percent over the level enacted in FY99. The Operating Programs represent the backbone of our efforts to protect public health and the environment through sound science, strong public health standards, and tough enforcement.

If I may, Mr. Chairman, I would like to address another important issue. Last month the House and Senate passed a budget resolution that includes a 12 percent across the board cut in priority domestic programs in the year 2000 budget.

Let me give you an idea of what that would do to us at EPA. Toxic waste site cleanups in communities across the nation would be delayed. Our ability to establish water quality standards would be put on hold, including a new standard for nutrient to prevent harmful algae blooms, such as pfiesteria, from occurring in our waterways. We would not be able strengthen health standards and testing along our coastlines, lakes and other recreational waters to help families enjoy a safe day at the beach without the danger of swimming in polluted waters.

Finally, Mr. Chairman, I would also like to address the issue of earmarks. While our operating budget has grown, Congressional earmarks have grown at a much faster pace -- from $127 million in FY 96 to $423 million in FY 99. That is an increase of more than 330 percent in four years. While I know the earmarks are well intentioned and the projects often worthy, if the trend continues this way we will not have the flexibility we need to react to changing environmental problems.

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate that this Subcommittee balances different priorities which are all important to our nation, and that you do so with the responsibility of stewardship over the taxpayers' dollars. I look forward to discussing with you, as the year progresses, the initiatives and innovative financing mechanisms in our budget request. I believe they embody a common-sense, cost-effective approach to environmental protection. I would be happy to answer your questions at this time.