Chairman Wynn Holds First Subcommittee EPA Budget Oversight Hearing in Six Years
Chairman Wynn Holds First Subcommittee EPA Budget Oversight Hearing in Six Years
Yesterday, Congressman Albert R. Wynn, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials, expressed his concern about the ability of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to fulfill its programmatic mission in several critical areas during a hearing on the EPA's budget request for Fiscal Year 2008. These areas include Superfund, Brownfields, Leaking Underground Storage Tanks, the Safe Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund, and Environmental Justice among others.
"EPA is unable to adequately meet its mission of protecting human health and the environment and our constituents continue to remain at risk. It is part of Congress' institutional and constitutional responsibility to hold oversight hearings on the EPA, and unlike the last Congress this subcommittee will enthusiastically pursue these responsibilities. It appears that the Administration has a less than serious commitment to environmental protection since the EPA is one of only two agencies to see a decline in funding in the President's budget," stated Wynn.
During the hearing, the Subcommittee heard testimony from six witnesses who represented the interests of the states, the environmental community, and small businesses. These stakeholders testified about the challenges facing states as they try to comply with increasing federal regulations using decreasing federal dollars. Small businesses have concerns about the tax on gasoline that is supposed to be used for the Leaking Underground Storage Tank trust fund but is instead being used to offset the Federal deficit. "Using this important Trust Fund to offset other Administration spending is a farce on the American public," stated Wynn. Members also heard from the environmental community about the need for increased funding for environmental justice issues and the Federal Superfund program which has suffered chronic funding shortfalls and continues to pose a risk to the American public.
Yesterday's hearing was a part of a two hearing series on the EPA budget. The Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials along with the Subcommittee on Environment and Air Quality will hold a joint oversight hearing next week, on March 8, 2007, in which they will question EPA Administrator, Stephen Johnson, on the EPA budget.
http://www.wynn.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=327