The funding is about 4% less than last year but more than 50% more than a previous White House proposal. It cuts funding for Superfund activities but maintains other operations funding and research
By Megan Quinn, Senior Reporter, Waste Dive
The Senate on Thursday approved an $8.8 billion budget for the U.S. EPA through the end of the fiscal year in September. The approval is part of a three-bill funding package that also approves certain science spending and budgets for the departments of Justice, Interior, Commerce and Energy.
The bill, which now heads to President Donald Trump for signature, includes funding for key programs such as Superfund, but 47% less than the previous year’s budget. It also provides funding for various research projects involving PFAS, landfill methane, eRINs and numerous water quality and safety programs.
The funding amount is about 4% less than last year’s budget of about $9 billion, but both environmental groups and lawmakers said the cuts were less dire than the White House had previously signaled. The president’s original budget proposal for the agency was around $4.16 billion.
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