Bush Cuts EPA Budget

President released his $2.4 trillion budget for fiscal year 2005 (begins Oct. 1, 2004) Feb. 2, 2004. Bush funded EPA at $7.6 billion, an 8.9 percent cut from FY 2004.

There will be EPA cuts in water management:
$492 million cut in low-interest loans for clean water pollution projects;
$335 million cut in local government grants to improve drinking water and better handle wastewater and stormwater.

There will be increased EPA funding in some areas:
$65 million ($5 million last year) to lower diesel emissions from school buses;
$1.4 billion (9.9 percent more) for pollution cleanups not paid for by the responsible polluters.

Bushes largest increase in funding goes to international assistance, up 36.5 percent from last year to $18.3 billion, more that twice the funding for EPA.

Housing and urban development will be cut by 1.9 percent, down to 34 billion.

There will be no new funding for urban empowerment zones for the third year in a row.

The biggest loser is the small business administration, cut 83.4 percent. Its funding for FY 2005 is only $700 million.