Clean Water Advocacy - News Releases - February 16, 2005
For Immediate Release: February 16, 2005
Contact: Adam Krantz: 202/833-4651, AMSA
Administration Proposes Dramatic Cut to Key Clean Water Program
AMSA Seeks Dedicated Trust Fund for Clean and Safe Water
As the House Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and
Environment holds a hearing today on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s
(EPA) fiscal year 2006 budget, it is clear that proposed cuts to the Agency’s
Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program are untenable and the federal
government needs to commit to long-term clean water funding.
The Bush Administration has proposed to dramatically cut clean water funding by seeking to slash EPA’s budget for fiscal year (FY) 2006 by $500 million (from $8.1 billion to $7.6 billion). The vast majority of this reduction would be achieved by a proposed cut of approximately $360 million (from $1.09 billion to $730 million) to the Agency’s CWSRF program. The CWSRF, a loan program that helps local communities repair and replace aging treatment plants, has been the primary source of federal support for clean water infrastructure projects since its creation in 1987.
Studies by EPA, the Congressional Budget Office, the Government Accountability Office, and the Water Infrastructure Network estimate a water infrastructure funding gap exceeding $300 billion over the next 20 years. Given this mounting funding gap, the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies (AMSA) believes it is untenable for the federal government to cut support for clean water in America. AMSA is urging Congress to support both full funding for the CWSRF in the short-term, and a dedicated trust fund to guarantee clean and safe water in America for the long-term.
Responding to the Bush Administration’s action, Ken Kirk, AMSA’s Executive Director, stated that “this proposed cut is the wrong measure at the wrong time. Without a long-term, sustainable federal-state-local partnership communities will not be able to tackle essential capital replacement projects needed to meet federal Clean Water Act mandates and improve the quality of the nation’s waters.”
Facing similar shortfalls in funding for critical national infrastructure, Congress has established trust funds supported by dedicated revenue sources. Congressionally established trust funds for highway infrastructure ($30 billion/year) and airport infrastructure ($8 billion/year) provide a strong precedent for moving forward with a similar trust fund for clean and safe water. “Clean and safe water is certainly as important to the nation’s economic and public health as our highways and airports,” said Kirk. AMSA, together with other stakeholder groups, will work aggressively with Congress and the Administration – both to ensure full funding for the CWSRF and to establish a trust fund dedicated to clean and safe water in America.
AMSA is a national trade association representing hundreds of the nation's publicly owned wastewater treatment utilities. AMSA members serve the majority of the sewered population in the United States and collectively treat and reclaim over 18 billion gallons of wastewater every day. AMSA members are environmental practitioners dedicated to protecting and improving the nation's waters and public health.
1816 Jefferson Place, Washington, DC 20036-2505 • 202.833.AMSA • 202.833.4657 FAX