EPA’s Lisa Jackson provided a press conference today to give details on the Obama Adminstration’s $10 billion dollar budget to streamline the agency’s operations. There are seven EPA priorities that will benefit from this monetary influx.
They are:
1) Superfund sites
a) $1.3 billion allocated
b) $215 million provided to clean up underused, abandoned and commercial sites – where environmental contaminants present a barrier to redevelopment.

2) Improving Air Quality – $60 million will go to support the updated National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

3) Building Strong State and Tribal Partnerships
a) $1.3 billion is intended for tribal grants to implement new and expanded requirements under the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act.
b) $45 million will go to states to enhance water enforcement and permitting programs.
c) $30 million is budgeted for Tribal grant programs

4) Taking Action on Climate Change - At least $43 million will fund additional initiatives to address climate change and work towards a clean energy future.

5) Protecting America’s Waters - $63 million will boast efforts to clean up America’s waterbodies. This will be allocated to the environmentally beleaguered Chesapeake Bay and an additional $17 million will address contamination on the Mississippi River Basin.

6) Assuring the Safety of Chemicals - $56 million will be applied to chemical assessment and risk review. This will include $29 million towards the elimination of childhood lead poisoning and $6 million to support mitigation of exposure to “high-risk legacy” chemicals, such as mercury and asbestos.

7) Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice - $8 million is being funneled into environmental justice programs and $9 million will flow into the Healthy Communities Initiative funds to help underserved communities restore urban waterways.

As Lisa Jackson said, “The president’s budget is focused on creating the conditions that help American families, communities and small businesses thrive.” And this is what Safetec is all about too. Let us help your business meet the challenges that are being shaped by EPA’s efforts to create green jobs, and foster the goals of providing clean air and clean water to our present communities and to our future generations.

-by JeanMarie Calvillo, Ph.D.

Safetec Regulatory Specialist