Abby L. Harvey
GHG Monitor
12/12/2014
Funding for the Environmental Protection Agency would be cut by approximately $60 million from current levels in the Fiscal Year 2015 omnibus spending bill Congress released this week. The measure was approved by the House late this week, and the Senate is expected to follow suit early next week. Total funding for the EPA in the package is $8.14 billion, down from last year’s $8.2 billion, but still significantly higher than the Obama Administration’s requested $7.89 billion. The report accompanying the omnibus bill notes, “Based on estimates provided by EPA in the fiscal year 2015 congressional budget justification, the funding level provided is adequate to fully fund payroll. EPA shall make payroll its top priority as it executes its fiscal year 2015 appropriation.”
Climate-related science and technology programs saw cuts below both FY14 funding levels and requested funding in the omnibus bill. The Clean Air and Climate program is funded at $116.5 million, nearly $2 million below the request and $3.9 million below FY 14 funding. Research for Air, Climate and Energy was cut $3 million from FY14 to $92 million, a full $10 million below the request. Total funding for all science and technology programs is down $24.5 million from FY14 and $29 million from the request.
Deeps cuts were seen within EPA’s Environment Programs and Management budget as well. The Clean Air and Climate program is budgeted at $273 million, in the omnibus, $32 million below the request, though only a $4.4 million loss from FY 14 funding. Funding for the compliance and enforcement programs is also down in the omnibus with the compliance budget coming in at $102 million, $17 million below the request, and enforcement coming in $241 million, $16.6 million below the request.
Funding within the U.S. Geological Survey’s Climate and Land Use Change – Climate Variability programs was boosted some in the omnibus bill over FY 14 levels, though it falls below requested levels. Funding for climate science centers was increased $3 million over last year to $26.7 million, $8.6 million below the request. Climate research and development is funded at $21.5 million, up $1 million from last year but $3.8 million below the request. Carbon sequestration funding remained flat at $9.4 million, regardless of a requested increase to $11.4 million.
Ex-Im Guidelines on Unabated Coal Addressed in Omnibus
The package also includes language addressing a set of supplemental guidelines approved by the Export-Import Bank in December 2013 which state that “under Ex-Im Bank’s environmental policy, the Bank will not provide support for exports for high carbon intensity plants, except for high carbon intensity plants that (a) are located in the world’s poorest countries, utilize the most efficient coal technology available and where no other economically feasible alternative exists, or (b) deploy carbon capture and sequestration (CCS).”
The omnibus, while not directly abolishing the guidelines, states that none of the funds appropriated can be “obligated or expended to provide … for the enforcement of any rule, regulation policy or guidelines implemented pursuant to … the Supplemental Guidelines for High Carbon Intensity Projects approved by the Export-Import Bank of the United States on December 12, 2013, when enforcement of such rule, regulation, policy, or guidelines would prohibit, or have the effect of prohibiting, any coal-fired or other power-generation project the purpose of which is to: (i) provide affordable electricity in International Development Association (IDA)-eligible countries and IDA-blend countries; and (ii) increase exports of goods and services from the United States or prevent the loss of jobs from the United States.”
