U.S. House Rejected Bids To Reverse EPA Funding Cuts, Votes For RECLAIM, Against Chesapeake Bay

The U.S. House Thursday night voted to reject efforts to reverse many of the deep cuts the Trump Administration proposed for environmental and energy programs as they considered appropriations bills, but took mixed actions related to the Chesapeake Bay and funding for state mine reclamation programs.

Among the actions taken were to add a provision prohibiting EPA from spending money to take actions against states not meeting their pollution reduction goals under the Chesapeake Bay Program and another to increase funding for mine reclamation under a pilot RECLAIM Program.

E&E Daily Friday reported a series of actions--

-- Rejected efforts to strip a provision delaying implementation of 2015 ozone standard;

-- Rejected efforts to remove a rider making it easier to repeal the Waters Of The U.S. Rule;

-- Rejected efforts to provide a $12 million increase for Environmental Justice;

-- Accepted an amendment that would prohibit EPA from spending money to take action against states that do not meet their goals for cutting pollution going to the Chesapeake Bay;

-- Accepted an amendment by PA Congressman Perry to prevent EPA from taking action under the federal Clean Air Act for regulating greenhouse gas emissions;

-- Accepted a $250 million increase in EPA’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund to match current spending;

-- Accepted an amendment by PA Congressman Thompson to for a $32 million increase in mine reclamation funding with the RECLAIM Program;

-- Accepted a $10 million increase to address National Park Service maintenance backlog.

House work on the appropriations bills are not done and this process has a long way to go.

NewsClip:

U.S. House Keeps Most EPA Cuts, Rejects Bids To Reverse Riders