Tribal grants seeing no gains in EPA budget

FROM THE ARCHIVE

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2002

For the second year in a row, President Bush has proposed to cut or limit environmental grants to tribes and states, stakeholders the administration has highlighted as key to keeping the nation's air and water safe.

Released earlier this month, the fiscal year 2003 budget for the Environmental Protection Agency seeks to reduce the amount of money available to tribes and states. Approximately 45 percent of the EPA's $7.7 billion budget is directed to these governments but major grant programs aren't seeing any increases.

Included is the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), which helps tribes and states construct drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities. The Bush administration sought to slash this fund for the current fiscal year but Congress restored it.

Lawmkers may have to do the same again, as Bush's budget seeks to cut the fund from $1.4 billion to $1.2 billion. Of the CWSRF, tribes only get one and one-half percent of the money, which amounts to $18.2 million.

The need in Indian Country, however, is far greater. The EPA and the Indian Health Service estimate that it will cost more than $650 million to correct inadequate or nonexistent wastewater treatment systems.

Similarly, the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) is used to help tribes upgrade and modernize drinking water systems. The Bush administration hasn't asked to increase the amount of money available for the fund.

The same goes for Alaska Native water programs, which remain at the $40 million level enacted by Congress. The EPA estimates that more than 20,000 homes in Native villages lack basic sanitation facilities, although the situation has improved in recent years.

Tribal assistance grants for air and radiation also remain the same. The budget seeks $11.0 million for grants that help fund various environmental programs.

Not all of EPA's budget represents the status quo. General assistance grants, which are used by tribes to maintain an environmental staff, would be increased by $5 million to $57.5 million.

To prevent pollution at the local level, the budget requests $70.9 million to study environmental conditions in Indian Country. This represents an increase of about $5.5 million over the current fiscal year.

Part of this money will go to the American Indian Environmental Office, which serves as EPA's point of contact to Indian Country.

Tribes are also benefiting from the brownfields program, one of Bush's priorities. Tribes and states will share in a $50 million fund to enhance cleanup of these toxic industrial sites.

Overall, the brownfields funding request is $200 million. Congress authorized spending $1 billion over the next five years for this program.

As part of the White House Office of Management and Budget's management performance initiative, the EPA was given negative marks for its performance. EPA received "red" for its human capital, competitive sourcing and financial management, and "yellow" for e-government and budget and performance integration.

Get the Budget:
Budget Summary [EPA] | Performance Plan [EPA] | Overview [OMB] | Details [OMB]

Relevant Links:
American Indian Environmental Office, EPA - http://www.epa.gov/indian