The Trump Administration and the Proposed 2018 USEPA Budget

We are now some sixty (60) days into the Trump Administration and about the only thing that can be said with any certainty is that the USEPA, under Scott Pruitt, is taking a dramatically different approach than prior administrations.

The Obama Administration saw an increase in environmental regulatory activities which now face repeal by the new administration. The ones that have received the most press are the Clean Power Plan, the Stream Protection rule and the Waters of the United States rule. Now, with a proposed budget, the USEPA is facing a cut of at least thirty (30) percent.

First off, the final budget will be much different than the proposed budget. Nonetheless, expect environmental programs to face deep cuts. Interestingly, the proposed budget cut is at odds with the “cooperative federalism” that the Trump Administration and Scott Pruitt are espousing. The goal of the “cooperative federalism” is to empower the states to manage environmental matters. The states are empowered to do so through funding provided by the USEPA that is passed through the USEPA budget (anyone remember the huge outcry from the Republicans and the states regarding unfunded mandates from the federal government?). Now the federal government is asking each state to take on a larger role in regulating the environmental while at the same time cutting funding for doing just that.

Bottom line, expect changes to the final version of the budget with an increase of funding to the states.

More later.

As always, feel free to contact me at [email protected]

WDJiii

Comments

[maryjane]

nice blog.