House subcommittee approves cuts to EPA funding

Jennifer Calfas | USA TODAY

The House panel approved a proposed measure Wednesday that will make cuts and enact changes to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The proposed fiscal year 2016 budget for environment and interior funding, released by the House Subcommittee on Interior Appropriations Tuesday, grants $30.17 billion in natural resources for the Department of Interior, the EPA and several other agencies. The total funding is a decrease of $246 million from the fiscal year of 2015, and is in total $3 billion below the requested funding for these agencies President Obama proposed in February.

The bill provides $7.4 billion for the EPA – a 9% reduction from fiscal year 2015. According to the subcommittee's release, these funding cuts "will help the agency streamline operations" by centralizing the focus to broader goals. The bill proposes to halt the EPA's protection of small streams.

The bill also blocks the issuing of new regulations by the EPA, including changing the definition of "navigable waters" under the Clean Water Act and enacting new regulations on power plants for greenhouse gases.

The EPA did not respond immediately for comment on the proposed bill.

The bill also differs from Obama's proposed funding for wildland firefighting and protection agencies, which he suggested about $5.2. The bill proposes $3.6 billion, which is an increase of $52 million from fiscal year 2015.

Rep. Ken Calvert (R—Calif.), the chairman of the subcommittee, told the Associated Press the bill exemplifies the subcommittee's ability to make tough decisions with a tight budget.

"In addition, the bill takes meaningful steps to shield our economy and defend American jobs from the executive overreach of EPA regulators," he said.

Under the legislation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would be cut by $8 million, which affects several species. If enacted, the Department of Interior would end federal protections for gray wolves in Midwestern states. This push to remove these wolves from endangered species list has already been overturned by two federal judges on separate occasions.

The legislation would also affect the sage-grouse, a western bird species, by delaying its consideration to be named under the Endangered Species Act. The bird is on the waiting list to be dubbed an endangered species, and has faced population decline over the past 30 years.

Conservationists say the bird's survival is vital for lands across the west to maintain a sustainable habitat for other species. The bird's population spans across 165 million acres in 11 states in both federally owned and privately owned areas.

The Defenders of Wildlife, an organization focused on wildlife and habitat conservation, released a statement noting its disappoint with the bill, saying it weakens conservation efforts across the board.

"This Department of the Interior appropriations bill is, unfortunately, exactly what we've come to expect from the House of Representatives when it comes to imperiled wildlife and habitat protection," said Jamie Rappaport, president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, in a statement. "Conservation champions in the House and Senate need to stand up for wildlife and make sure these harmful amendments are never adopted."

The bill is still under consideration before seeking House and Senate approval.