U.S. Environmental Protection Agency FY2024 Appropriations

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency FY2024 Appropriations

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April 4, 2024
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency FY2024 Appropriations
Enacted on March 9, 2024, the Consolidated
In recent years, Congress has provided appropriations to
Appropriations Act, 2024 (P.L. 118-42) provided funding
EPA through a combination of regular annual
for the Department of the Interior, Environment, and
appropriations, supplemental appropriations in IIJA and the
Related Agencies, including funding for the U.S.
budgetary measure known as the Inflation Reduction Act
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). P.L. 118-42
(IRA; P.L. 117-169), and other supplemental
provided a total of $9.16 billion in appropriations for EPA,
appropriations. Figure 2 shows the distribution of EPA
including rescissions. Division J, Title VI, of the
appropriations in recent years among these acts.
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA; P.L. 117-58),
enacted on November 15, 2021, provided an additional
Figure 2. EPA Enacted Appropriations, FY2022-
$11.61 billion for EPA in advance appropriations for
FY2024
FY2024. Together, P.L. 118-42 and P.L. 117-58 provided a
total of $20.77 billion for EPA for FY2024.
EPA’s FY2024 regular annual appropriations of $9.16
billion, including rescissions, are $2.92 billion (24.2%) less
than the President’s FY2024 request for EPA of $12.08
billion and $977 million (9.6%) less than FY2023 regular
enacted appropriations of $10.14 billion. Total EPA
FY2024 enacted appropriations of $20.77 billion (including
IIJA advance appropriations) are $2.24 billion (9.7%) less
than total FY2023 enacted appropriations of $23.01 billion

(including supplemental appropriations and rescissions).
Source: CRS, using information from the Congressional Record;
Trends in requested and enacted appropriations for EPA
House, Senate, and conference reports.
since FY2015 are shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 does not
Notes: P.L. 117-328 provided $1.67 bil ion in supplemental
include $41.46 billion in FY2022 mandatory appropriations
appropriations for EPA for FY2023. P.L. 117-169 provided $41.46
provided to EPA in P.L. 117-169, the measure known as the
bil ion in mandatory appropriations for EPA for FY2022.
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
EPA Appropriations Accounts
From the beginning of FY2024 to the enactment of P.L.
Funding for discretionary spending is annually appropriated
118-42, EPA (and other federal departments and agencies)
to EPA among 10 statutory accounts established by
operated under the terms and conditions of a series of four
Congress over time. These include State and Tribal
continuing resolutions, generally at FY2023 regular enacted
Assistance Grants (STAG), Environmental Programs and
levels.
Management (EPM), Hazardous Substance Superfund
Figure 1. EPA Requested and Enacted Discretionary
(“Superfund”), Science and Technology (S&T), Leaking
Appropriations, FY2015-FY2024
Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund Program, Buildings
and Facilities, Office of Inspector General, Inland Oil Spill
Program, Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest System
Fund, and Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation
Program accounts.
As indicated in Figure 3, the proportional distribution of
funding among these accounts has remained similar for
more than a decade, prior to the enactment of IIJA
supplemental appropriations. Historically, the STAG and
EPM accounts have received the largest share of funding,
followed by the Superfund and S&T accounts. The STAG
account funds grants for water infrastructure, brownfields
site assessment and remediation, diesel emissions reduction,

targeted airsheds, and “categorical” grants to delegated
Source: CRS, using information from the Congressional Record;
states and tribes for implementing pollution control
House, Senate, and conference reports; and EPA’s Congressional
programs. The EPM account funds additional grants and
Budget Justifications from FY2015 through FY2024.
cross-cutting agency activities. The Superfund account
Notes: Enacted amounts reflect supplemental appropriations and
supports the environmental remediation of priority sites on
rescissions and do not include FY2022 IRA appropriations.
nonfederal lands designated for federal attention in
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency FY2024 Appropriations
coordination with the states in which the sites are located.
assistance to states and territories for two state revolving
The S&T account funds research that supports agency
funds for water infrastructure: the Clean Water State
regulatory decisions.
Revolving Fund and the Drinking Water State Revolving
Fund. For FY2024, Congress appropriated $2.76 billion
FY2024 total appropriations in P.L. 118-42 included
total for these funds, including $1.42 billion in Community
funding decreases in 9 of the 10 EPA appropriations
Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending. P.L.
accounts compared with FY2023 total enacted
118-42 also appropriated $1.11 billion for other categorical
appropriations. See Figure 3 for trends in EPA enacted
grants within the STAG account. EPA also awards
discretionary appropriations by account in recent years.
competitive grants for a range of programs and purposes.
Figure 3. EPA Enacted Discretionary Appropriations
Air Quality and Climate Change
by Account, FY2015-FY2024
Issues related to air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions,
and climate change have been a topic of debate in
Congress. Recent appropriations acts have included funding
for EPA in these policy areas, such as for air and climate
research, developing and implementing regulations, and
financial and technical assistance to states, local
governments, and tribes. For FY2024, P.L. 118-42 provided
$534 million within the S&T and EPM accounts for clean
air and climate-related programs, a $23 million (4.2%)
decrease compared with FY2023 appropriations of $557
million. This funding supports programs for climate change

Source: CRS, using information from the Congressional Record;
research and adaptation, air monitoring networks, federal
House, Senate, and conference committee reports. Enacted amounts
support for air quality management, renewable fuel
reflect rescissions and supplemental appropriations.
standards, greenhouse gas monitoring, and wildfire smoke
research, among others. In addition, in the Explanatory

Statement accompanying P.L. 118-42 (Congressional
For example, total FY2024 appropriations are $15.64
Record, March 5, 2024, pp. S1682-S1685), Congress
billion for the STAG account, including rescissions and
directed specific funding within the STAG account to air-
$11.22 billion in IIJA advance appropriations. This is a
related grants, such as diesel emissions reduction, wildfire
$1.33 billion (7.8%) decrease compared with FY2023 total
smoke preparedness, and categorical grants specifically
enacted appropriations of $16.97 billion for the STAG
related to air quality.
account.

Environmental Justice
Total FY2024 appropriations are $3.56 billion for the EPM
Funding levels for EPA environmental justice-related
account, including $387 million in IIJA advance
programs and activities have been a long-standing issue in
appropriations. This is a $108 million (3.0%) decrease
appropriations discussions. Three executive orders (E.O.
compared with FY2023 total enacted appropriations of
12898, E.O. 14008, and E.O. 14096) direct EPA and other
$3.67 billion for the EPM account. FY2024 appropriations
agencies to integrate environmental justice into their
were $53 million for the Superfund account. This is a $745
respective missions within the bounds of existing law. For
million (58.1%) decrease compared with FY2023 enacted
FY2024, P.L. 118-42 provided EPA with $100 million for
appropriations of $1.28 billion for the Superfund account.
environmental justice within the EPM and Superfund
In its FY2024 Congressional Budget Justification, EPA
accounts, a decrease of $8 million (7.4%) compared to
noted that this decrease is due to the $3.5 billion provided
FY2023 appropriations of $108 million.
in IIJA for Superfund and the availability of $2.5 billion in
expected Superfund excise tax receipts available to EPA in
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
FY2024.
Congress has considered the potential risks associated with
Selected EPA Funding Issues
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) when
providing EPA appropriations. The Explanatory Statement
A variety of EPA funding issues have been the subject of
accompanying P.L. 118-42 directed $8 million within the
congressional debate during the annual appropriations
S&T account for EPA to conduct research on PFAS
process. These issues are likely to continue to be of interest
impacts in agricultural settings and communities. The
in the 118th Congress.
Explanatory Statement also directed $12 million in EPA
Assistance to States and Other Entities
Public Water System Supervision categorical grants to
Congress appropriates funds to EPA to support the agency’s
address PFAS and other contaminants of emerging concern.
These funds are available in addition to the $1.0 billion in
primary responsibilities under multiple federal
IIJA appropriations provided to EPA for emerging
environmental pollution control statutes in coordination
contaminants work for FY2024 and funds from other
with states and tribes. The adequacy of funding for this
appropriations accounts that are available for addressing
support is a perennial issue. EPA awards categorical grants
PFAS in the environment.
to states and tribes (and local governments under certain
statutes) with delegated authority to implement and enforce
Angela C. Jones, Analyst in Environmental Policy
federal pollution control requirements. Typically, Congress
allocates the largest categorical grant amounts for EPA
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency FY2024 Appropriations

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