Crs Report for Congress: Environmental Protection Issues in the 108th Congress

ISBN-10: 129425135X
ISBN-13: 9781294251354
Series: Crs Report for Congress
Pages: 22
Language: English
Published: 2013-11
Publisher: BiblioGov
Authors: Susan Fletcher, Congressional Research Service: The Libr, Margaret Isler

Description

This issue brief provides an overview of some of the key environmental protection issues that have been and are likely to continue to be the focus of public and congressional attention. The individual sections below on specific issues reference more detailed CRS reports. The initial focus of the 108th Congress was on finalizing FY2003 funding not completed by the 107th Congress. Appropriations for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were among those unresolved, and a number of controversial environmental amendments were under debate as Congress considered a consolidated appropriations act, H.J.Res. 2 (P.L. 108-7). As approved, it included $8.0 billion for EPA for FY2003. Budgetary attention next turned to the FY2004 appropriations, for which the request for EPA is $7.6 billion, or 5% less than approved for FY2003. The House approved $8.0 billion in H.R. 2861, amended, on July 25 (H.Rept. 108235). The Senate Committee on appropriations approved $8.1 billion i n S . 1584 (S.Rept. 108-143) on September 5, 2003. A continuing resolution, P.L. 108-84 (H.J.Res. 69), funds EPA activities at the FY2003 level of $8.08 billion. A number of other key issues are likely to see, or have seen, action in the 108th Congress, including leaking underground storage tanks ...