Order Code RS22386
Updated July 11, 2006
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Environmental Protection Agency:
FY2007 Appropriations Highlights
David M. Bearden and Robert Esworthy
Resources, Science, and Industry Division
As passed by the House on May 18, 2006, Title II of the Interior, Environment, and
Related Agencies appropriations bill for FY2007 (H.R. 5386, H.Rept. 109-465) would
provide $7.58 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Senate
Appropriations Committee recommended $7.53 billion for EPA in reporting its version
of the bill (S.Rept. 109-275) on June 29, 2006. Both amounts are more than the
President’s request of $7.32 billion, but less than the FY2006 appropriation of $7.64
billion. Congress made an additional $80.0 million available to EPA in FY2006 by
rescinding and redirecting previously appropriated agency funds that had not been
obligated for certain activities. Including these funds, the total funding available to EPA
in FY2006 was $7.72 billion. Accounting for this funding, there are larger differences
between the amounts proposed for FY2007 and the FY2006 appropriation for EPA.
Among individual activities, both the House and the Senate Appropriations
Committee approved decreases and increases throughout EPA’s eight appropriations
accounts, when compared to the President’s FY2007 request and the FY2006
appropriation. The following table indicates amounts by EPA’s accounts, including the
FY2006 appropriation, the FY2007 request, and action on H.R. 5386. This report will be
updated to track further congressional action. Also see the EPA section in CRS Report
RL33399, Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2007 Appropriations,
coordinated by Carol Hardy-Vincent and Susan Boren. Proposed funding for selected
activities in which there has been broad congressional interest are identified below.
The House and the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the President’s
request to cut funding below FY2006 for state grants to support Clean Water State
Revolving Funds (SRFs), and approved the President’s request for a relatively small
increase for state grants to support the Drinking Water SRFs. States use these funds to
issue low-interest loans to communities for wastewater and drinking water infrastructure
projects, respectively. As in prior years, the House and the Senate Appropriations
Committee proposed additional funds for congressional priorities, often referred to as
earmarks, for water infrastructure projects in specific communities. As in past requests,
the President’s FY2007 budget did not include funding for such projects.
There also has been broad interest in funding for the cleanup of hazardous wastes at
Superfund sites. The House, the Senate Appropriations Committee, and the President
proposed roughly similar funding for the Superfund account, all of which are more than
appropriated in FY2006. There also has been broad interest in funding for scientific
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research on the effects of pollutants on human health and the environment. Much of
EPA’s research activities are funded within the Science and Technology account. The
House and the Senate Appropriations Committee would provide more for this account
than the President requested for FY2007 and Congress appropriated for FY2006.
However, much of this increase is due to an accounting adjustment, resulting in a smaller
increase for the agency’s “core” research activities in the House bill, and a net decrease
in the Senate Appropriations Committee’s version of the bill.
Environmental Protection Agency Appropriations, by Account:
FY2006 Enacted, FY2007 Request, and Congressional Action
(in millions of dollars)
FY2006
FY2007
House-
Senate-
Environmental Protection Agency Accounts
Enacted
Request
Passed
Reported
Science and Technology
— Direct Appropriations
$730.8
$788.3
$808.0
$793.4
— Transfer in from Superfund account
$30.2
$27.8
$30.0
$27.8
Science and Technology Total
$761.0
$816.1
$838.0
$821.2
Environmental Programs and Management
$2,352.7
$2,306.6
$2,338.2
$2,310.7
Office of Inspector General
— Direct Appropriations
$36.9
$35.1
$35.1
$35.1
— Transfer in from Superfund account
$13.3
$13.3
$13.3
$13.3
Office of Inspector General Total
$50.2
$48.4
$48.4
$48.4
Buildings & Facilities
$39.6
$39.8
$39.8
$39.8
Hazardous Substance Superfund Total
$1,242.1
$1,259.0
$1,256.9
$1,261.3
— Transfer out to Office of Inspector General
($13.3)
($13.3)
($13.3)
($13.3)
— Transfer out to Science and Technology
($30.2)
($27.8)
($30.0)
($27.8)
— Net Appropriations After Transfers
$1,198.6
$1,217.8
$1,213.6
$1,220.2
Leaking Underground Storage Tank Program
$87.0
$72.8
$72.8
$72.8
Oil Spill Response
$15.6
$16.5
$16.5
$16.5
State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG)
— Clean Water State Revolving Fund
$886.8
$687.6
$687.6
$687.6
— Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
$837.5
$841.5
$841.5
$841.5
— Categorical and Other Grants
$1,489.4
$1,268.3
$1,480.2
$1,471.3
— Rescission and Redirection of Prior Funds
(80.0) a
n/a
n/a
n/a
State and Tribal Assistance Grants Total
$3,133.7
$2,797.4
$3,009.3
$3,000.4
Total Appropriations
$7,638.4
$7,315.5
$7,576.7
$7,529.9
Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service. Amounts are from the House Appropriations Committee and
the Senate Appropriations Committee, reflecting rescissions and supplementals. Numbers may not add due to rounding.
a. Congress made an additional $80.0 million available to EPA in FY2006 by rescinding and redirecting prior years’
appropriated funds that had not been obligated for contracts, grants, and interagency agreements, for which the
funding authorization had expired. This $80.0 million is shown as a reduction in the above table to reflect new
appropriations for FY2006. Including this $80.0 million, Congress made a total of $7.72 billion available to EPA
in FY2006.

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