Environmental Protection Agency

The Administration's FY 2007 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) budget request is $7.3 billion, a 4.07 percent decrease from the FY 2006 appropriation*. The agency's science and technology programs would receive $788.3 million, a 7.86 percent increase over the FY06 appropriation. However, funding for research would decrease by $19.9 million.



More than $100 million is requested in the FY07 budget to support EPA's new priorities in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Selected highlights include:

• $50 million for the Diesel Emissions Reduction program to support cleaner fuels and diesel retrofits, rebuilds and replacements; and,
• $11 million for development and implementation of the renewable fuel standard leading to increased market share of ethanol and renewable fuels.

The FY07 budget request includes $184 million for EPA Homeland Security efforts, an increase of $55 million over the FY06 appropriation. Funding requests include:

• $33 million to protect drinking water from terrorist attacks, including additional Water Sentinel pilots;
• $10 million to develop environmental preparedness and response capability; and,
• $10 million to provide for environmental decontamination, including research and development.

To help promote scientific research, the president's budget request includes:

• $7 million for a Water Infrastructure Initiative to generate the science and engineering needed to evaluate promising innovative technologies;
• $4 million in additional support for FY07, for a total of $8.6 million, to study the impacts of manufactured nanomaterials on human health and the environment and nanotechnology's potential beneficial uses; and
• $8.9 million for the Integrated Risk Information System, an Internet database of information on the potential human health effects of environmental substances.

In addition, the president is requesting an increase of $16.9 million for the Superfund, bringing FY07 total funding to $1.258 billion. The Superfund appropriation includes $27.8 million for science and technology transfer, a decrease of 7.8 percent from FY06.



Other EPA programs of interest include:

• Pollution Prevention Grant Program - $5.9 million ($1 million increase) to help state programs assist businesses and industries in identifying better environmental strategies and solutions for complying with federal and state environmental regulations.
• Regional Science and Technology - $3.5 million ($1,300 decrease) to support geographically targeted research activities.
• Research - $479.4 million ($19.9 million decrease)
  • Computational Toxicology - $15 million ($2.7 million increase) to apply mathematical and computational tools to advance the science needed to protect human health and natural ecosystems from pollutants.
  • Environmental Technology Verification - no funding requested ($3 million decrease) for this voluntary, market-based verification program for commercial ready technologies.
  • Human Health and Ecosystems - $161.3 million ($6.4 million decrease) to enhance current risk assessment and management strategies and guidance to better consider risk determination needs for children.
  • Fellowships - $8.4 million ($3.3 million decrease) to support fellowships, including the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program and the Greater Research Opportunity (GRO) graduate and undergraduate fellowships.
• Pollution Prevention - $21.3 million ($4.7 million increase) to facilitate the incorporation of pollution prevention concepts and principles into the daily operations of government agencies, businesses, manufacturers, nonprofit organizations, and individuals.
• Science Advisory Board - $4.6 million ($213,700 increase) to provide scientific, credible and technical assistance as may be requested by the Administration or Congress.
• Science Policy and Biotechnology - $1.7 million ($60,000 increase) to coordinate scientific, technical, and policy development activities within the Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances. The Office of Science Coordination and Policy Biotechnology Team also is a focal point for coordination with other federal agencies on any issues involving biotechnology, including international activities.

*FY06 enacted amounts include a 0.476 percent rescission and additional 1 percent reduction.