The committee called for more attention to chemical recycling, plastic-based fuel research and PFAS destruction technology.
By Megan Quinn, Senior Reporter, Waste Dive Published July 24, 2023
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A budget approved by the House Appropriations committee Wednesday proposes major spending cuts to the U.S. EPA and environmental justice efforts, but also outlined support for chemical recycling, plastics research and other waste and recycling initiatives.
The Republican-controlled committee said the fiscal year 2024 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies budget bill was designed for “reining in” what it considers unnecessary discretionary spending by proposing a nearly $4 billion cut to the EPA’s budget, which would be a 39% reduction over 2023. It also called for rescinding $1.35 billion in environmental and climate justice grants funded through the Inflation Reduction Act.
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House Appropriations Committee chair Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, said drastic cuts were necessary in part because of national debt and inflation issues. But ranking member Chellie Pingree, D- Maine, said the proposed bill “will completely debilitate America’s ability to address the climate crisis.”
Groups like the Clean Budget Coalition have spoken out against the appropriation committee’s call to rescind EJ grant funding, saying the proposed cuts will have a negative effect on environmental remediation programs and initiatives that battle legacy pollution. It’s also a hit to the federal Justice40 initiative, which directs 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities, the coalition said.
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