EPA Administrator Carol M. Browner announced President Clinton's proposed Fiscal Year 2001 budget of $7.3 billion for EPA and $2.2 billion for the Better American Bonds program.
The budget is the largest increase in the history of the Clinton/Gore Administration in spending for EPA's essential operations to provide cleaner air, cleaner water, safer food and sound science.
"The Clinton-Gore Administration has achieved an unparalleled record of protecting the public health and environment of America," said Browner. "This budget builds on that progress and addresses our country's greatest challenges -- providing our children and our communities with cleaner air, cleaner water, cleaner lands and improved quality of life."
Here is a breakdown of how some of those funds will be allocated to help meet those goals.
- Cleaner Water. The budget provides $784 million for President Clinton's Clean Water Action Plan designed to clean up America's waters.
- Cleaner Air. The President is requesting $215 million to support his action to provide cleaner, healthier air by setting the toughest standards for reducing harmful air pollution from passenger vehicles, SUVs and trucks.
- Protecting America's Children. The President's budget provides $68 million for targeting potential environmental threats to children, such as lead contamination and air pollution that contributes to asthma.
- Expanding the Public's Right-To-Know. The budget includes $30 million for the Information Integration Initiative, a new approach to ensuring broad and immediate dissemination of key environmental data and information to the public.
- Cleaning Up Toxic Waste. The President's budget allocates $1.45 billion in Superfund to continue the cleanup of the nation's worst toxic waste sites.