Environmental Protection Issues in the 107th Congress


 

Publication Date: March 2003

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Environment

Type:

Abstract:

The 107th Congress enacted brownfields, bioterrorism, and a sediment contamination statutes. In addition, it provided FY2002 funding to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other government agency environmental programs, and continued FY2002 funding into FY2003.

Many other bills received committee or floor action. H.R. 4, the comprehensive energy bill, which has numerous environmental provisions; the EPA and Department of Defense appropriations bills for FY2003; bills authorizing HUD and the Economic Development Administration (EDA) brownfield programs; legislation authorizing EPA regulation of pesticide exports; bills to extend water infrastructure funding programs; and legislation to address chemical plant security. Table 1 provides a summary of environmental legislation on which there has been some action.

Superfund/Brownfields. In the first session, Congress enacted P.L. 107-118, the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfield Revitalization Act. On June 4, 2002, the House passed H.R. 2941 to enhance the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s brownfields program. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee reported S. 1079 (S.Rept. 107-244) on August 28, 2002, to provide $60 million per year for the EDA’s brownfield program.

Energy Bill. House and Senate conferees did not complete action on a comprehensive energy package, H.R. 4, that includes a number of environmental provisions. Both versions address drinking water contamination from MTBE, a gasoline additive, and the Senate version would have banned future use of MTBE in gasoline. The Senate version would have also required the use of renewable fuels in electricity generation and motor fuels. The House version of H.R. 4 would have reauthorized EPA’s climate change programs, while the Senate version would have established a new Office of National Climate Change Policy and would have created a national greenhouse gas database.

Security Issues. S. 1602, as reported, and its companion, H.R. 5300, would have required EPA to identify and regulate sources of potentially disastrous, accidental or criminal, chemical releases. Action also occurred on several water infrastructure security bills. The Bioterrorism Preparedness Act (P.L. 107- 188) authorized funding for drinking water vulnerability assessments and security upgrades.

Appropriations. In the first session, Congress appropriated $7.9 billion for EPA, for FY2002, plus another $176 million in supplemental funding for anti-terrorism activities. On July 25, 2002, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved $8.3 billion for EPA for FY2003 in reporting S. 2797 (S.Rept. 107-222). The Administration has requested $7.6 billion. In addition to funding for EPA, consideration of authorization and appropriations bills for defense-related environmental activities is also underway. A continuing resolution provided funding at the same level as enacted for FY2002, until a final appropriations bill was enacted for FY2003. (The108th Congress enacted P.L.108-7 (H.J.Res. 2), an omnibus appropriation bill which includes about $8.1 billion for EPA for FY2003.)