The House Interior/Environment Appropriations Subcommittee finished up its work on a bill that would fund, among other things, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its programs for fiscal year (FY) 2014. The EPA saw almost a $3 billion cut to their programs, with the State Revolving Loan Funds (SRFs) taking the brunt of the cuts.
The SRFs are EPA’s primary method of directing water and wastewater infrastructure funding to state and local governments. The Clean Water SRF was funded at $250 million (down from $1.45 billion for FY 2013) and the Drinking Water SRF was funded at $350 million (down from $909 million for FY 2013). This represents a combined $ 1.76 billion hit (or 75 percent reduction) to the nation’s water and wastewater infrastructure programs.
With the State Revolving Loan Funds (SRFs) being the single largest line item in the EPA budget and based on past bills this committee has written, the proposed cuts come as no surprise. The steepness of the cuts, however, is of particular note. If enacted, this would be the single largest SRF cut in the history of the programs. It is important to remember that these are not necessarily the final numbers. This bill must still make it through the full Appropriations Committee before House approval, and the Senate has yet to take up the measure. With few legislative days remaining in FY 2013, it is increasingly likely that both chambers will wrap this funding into a continuing resolution or omnibus agreement (as in previous years), with significantly reduced cuts to funding. AGC will continue to advocate for the SRF programs and their importance as this funding moves through the legislative process.
For more information, please contact Scott Berry at (703) 837-5321 or berrys@agc.org.
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