[Budget of the United States Government]
[V. Preparing For the 21st Century]
[6. Protecting the Environment]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


 
                     6.  PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------

 
 
 
  ``Every time we have taken a sensible, reasoned, but strong step to protect the environment, we have actually
increased the diversity of our economy, the breadth and width of it, and increased jobs and strengthened the
long-term economic prospects of our country. That is the lesson the whole world has to embrace now. We can only
sustain economic growth if we can improve the environment ... if we can build a balanced future together.''
 
                                      President Clinton
                                      April 1998
 

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------
   From the start, it has been a guiding principle of this 
Administration that the Nation does not have to choose between a strong 
economy and a clean environment. The progress of the past six years is 
the proof. Today our economy is the strongest--and our environment the 
cleanest--in a generation. The air is better, drinking water safer, and 
polluted toxic waste sites fewer, while our economy flourishes in ways 
that even the most optimistic of forecasters could not have projected 
just six years ago.
   The Administration has made tremendous progress in protecting and 
restoring our environment. It has protected or enhanced tens of millions 
of acres of public and private lands including: creating the Grand 
Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah, which conserves 1.7 
million acres of spectacular red rock canyonlands and artifacts from 
three cultures; protecting Yellowstone National Park by halting the 
massive New World Mine in Montana, which posed a severe environmental 
threat to Yellowstone's unique landscape and wildlife resources; 
reaching an historic agreement, partnering with the State of California, 
to purchase the Headwaters ancient redwood forest in northern 
California; and launching an initiative to designate more than a dozen 
American Heritage Rivers to revitalize and preserve both rivers and 
riverfronts, and to enhance public appreciation of the value of our 
rivers.
   In its efforts to make day-to-day life safer for children and 
families, the Administration has helped set tough new clean air 
standards for soot and smog that will prevent up to 15,000 premature 
deaths a year and improve the lives of millions of Americans who suffer 
from respiratory illnesses. The President signed legislation to 
strengthen food and water safety, so American families will know their 
children have safe food to eat and have healthy and clean tap water to 
drink. The Administration has also greatly accelerated the pace of 
cleaning up Superfund hazardous waste sites, completing nearly three 
times as many in the past six years as were completed in the previous 
twelve. The United States has negotiated an international treaty, the 
Kyoto Protocol, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to 
global warming, in an environmentally strong and economically sound way.
   As the 21st Century approaches, our continued prosperity and 
accompanying population growth patterns present new challenges that call 
for a new conservation ethic--one that recognizes the intimate 
connection between land and livability, and seeks to preserve natural 
and open spaces in each community, within reach of all American families 
and their children.
   To that end, the budget includes an interagency Lands Legacy 
initiative that establishes the Federal Government as a partner with 
States and local communities to advance the preservation of open spaces 
in every community. Through support of voluntary State and local 
efforts, the Administration will help address sprawl, air and water 
pollution, and other quality of life issues, while preserving critical 
habitat and other ecological values. To accomplish these goals,

[[Page 96]]

the Administration requests full funding of the Land and Water 
Conservation Fund, which will help to preserve the next generation of 
Great Places, conserve open spaces, and support environmental protection 
and local growth management in urban, suburban, rural, and coastal 
areas.
   As a complement to the Lands Legacy initiative, the Administration 
also proposes a separate Livability initiative to help communities 
maintain growth while preserving a high quality of life. The Livability 
initiative includes a new financing mechanism, Better America Bonds, to 
further the creation of open spaces in urban and suburban areas. These 
bonds will provide--through tax benefits to bondholders--additional 
funds to States, Tribes, and cities for land acquisition, reforestation 
and other restoration, watershed protection, and brownfields cleanup.
   In order to encourage private sector advances in reducing pollution, 
the Administration proposes a new incentive, the Clean Air Partnership 
Fund, which will reward entities making early innovative investments in 
technology to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. To 
address global warming, the Administration also is proposing a $730 
million increase for the Climate Change Technology Initiative, including 
research and development spending for energy efficiency and renewable 
energy, and tax credits for the purchase of energy-efficient cars, 
homes, and appliances.
   The budget is designed to build on the successes of the past and to 
meet the challenges of the future by responding to the public's devotion 
to the environment and capturing the Nation's entrepreneurial spirit.

Approaches for Environmental Success

  Protecting Our National Treasures: To protect Yellowstone National 
Park, one of the crown jewels of the National Park System, the 
Administration, in August 1998, acquired the proposed New World Mine in 
Montana. The Administration is working with the mine's former owner and 
other parties to complete the cleanup of contamination at the site from 
earlier mining activities. The Administration is also working with the 
State of California and others to acquire the Headwaters Forest in 
northern California, the largest privately-owned stand of ancient 
redwoods in the United States. Other important acquisitions underway 
include bison winter habitat outside of Yellowstone, property on 
Cumberland Island in Georgia, the Backbone Trail in Santa Monica 
Mountains National Recreation Area, lands to complete the Maine-to-
Georgia Appalachian Trail, and key Civil War battlefield sites.
  Providing Safe Drinking Water: America's drinking water is 
significantly safer than five years ago, with 10 million more Americans 
receiving water from utilities reporting no violations of Federal health 
standards. Currently, 86 percent of this country's tap water fully meets 
tough Federal standards. During 1998, the Administration took further 
steps to strengthen public health protection. In August, the President 
announced that, under a new community right-to-know rule, water systems 
must give their customers regular reports on their tap water, including 
where the water comes from, whether it meets Federal standards, and what 
the health effects are if standards are violated.
  In December, the President announced the first new health standards 
issued under the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments, a bipartisan 
effort to improve public health protections. Those rules will protect 
against cryptosporidium (a microscopic organism that can contaminate 
drinking water), other disease-causing microbes, and potentially harmful 
byproducts of the water treatment process. A 1993 cryptosporidium 
outbreak in Milwaukee sickened 400,000 people, hospitalized 4,000 
people, and caused 50 deaths among people with weakened immune systems.

  Restoring Ocean Resources: In June 1998, at the National Ocean 
Conference in Monterey, California, the President and Vice President 
launched a series of major initiatives to explore, protect, and restore 
America's vital ocean resources. These measures will provide new 
scientific insight into the oceans, promote sustainable use of fisheries 
and other marine resources, open new opportunities for jobs and economic 
growth, preserve national security and freedom of the seas, and help 
preserve our oceans for all time. At the conference, the President and 
Vice President proposed an ad

[[Page 97]]

ditional $224 million through 2002 to fund these efforts, which the 
budget supports.
  Preserving Our Rivers: In July 1998, President Clinton designated 14 
rivers as American Heritage Rivers. This followed a commitment in his 
1997 State of the Union address to help communities revitalize their 
rivers and the banks along them--the streets, the historic buildings, 
the natural habitats, the parks--to help celebrate their history and 
their heritage. American Heritage Rivers is an umbrella initiative 
designed to use the Federal Government's many resources more 
effectively. The initiative creates no new regulatory requirements. 
Environmental, economic, and social concerns will be addressed through 
plans designed and implemented by local communities.
  Restoring the Everglades: The budget supports the continued Federal, 
State, local, and Tribal efforts to implement the South Florida 
ecosystem restoration project, authorized in the 1996 Water Resources 
Development Act. In 1999, the Army Corps of Engineers will complete the 
Central and Southern Florida Comprehensive Review Study (the Restudy), 
providing long-term direction for the Everglades effort--the most 
extensive ecosystem restoration effort ever undertaken in the United 
States.
  The Army Corps of Engineers released a draft of its Restudy in October 
1998, developed by a team of more than 160 people from 30 different 
Federal, State, Tribal, and other entities. It proposes a comprehensive 
solution that would: store water for critical uses; manage water to 
improve the timing and quantity of flows to the Everglades; and create 
wetlands to filter runoff. Implementing the plan will cost an estimated 
$7.8 billion over the next 20 years, with the Federal Government and 
south Florida each paying half.
  Along with better water flows and water management, the budget 
recognizes the need for scientific guidance and land acquisition to 
restore the Everglades' hydrologic functions. Key land acquisitions 
include tracts north of the Everglades National Park and properties 
along the East Coast buffer. The budget proposes $312 million for the 
Army Corps of Engineers, Department of the Interior, and other 
agencies--35 percent more than Congress approved in 1999--for the 
Everglades effort.

  Rehabilitating the Presidio: Using innovative authorities, the 
Presidio Trust has begun to rehabilitate and lease hundreds of unused 
buildings in the Presidio of San Francisco, once a military base and now 
within a national park. The Trust will restore these houses and offices 
and lease them to families and businesses. To cut taxpayer costs, the 
budget proposes that the Presidio Trust borrow $20 million from the 
Treasury in 2000 to fund these improvements, and repay the money through 
future lease receipts.
  Improving Park Management: Recent reforms are helping agencies manage 
national parks and other Federal lands more efficiently. Recreation fee 
receipts are now retained by land management agencies, giving visitors a 
chance to see how their money is being spent and allowing agencies to 
address unmet needs. As a result, revenues from fees have nearly doubled 
from $93 million in 1996 to $180 million in 1998. Parks also have 
stronger incentives to improve concessions management, now that they can 
retain concession fees and open new contracts up for more competitive 
bidding. The National Park Service is also reforming its facility 
maintenance and construction programs to target funds at top priority 
projects that have been selected using solid cost estimates and 
measurable ranking criteria.
  Protecting Roadless Areas and Improving the Forest Road System: The 73 
million acres without roads in our national forests have outstanding 
ecological, aesthetic, and social value. They are often the refuge of 
last resort for rare species and the source areas of municipal water 
supplies. The Forest Service will soon implement a moratorium on new 
road construction in roadless areas to meet public access needs in an 
ecologically sensitive manner, and ensure that we protect these critical 
areas for future generations. At the same time, the extensive Forest 
Service road system is rapidly eroding--risking public safety and 
contributing to environmental damage in some national forests. The 
budget proposes $359 million, a 28-percent increase over the 1999 level, 
for investments in road maintenance and reconstruction, road closures 
and obliteration,

[[Page 98]]

and watershed improvements that are critically important to salmon, 
water quality, and other resource management goals. In addition, the 
budget reproposes a stable payment to counties that is not linked to 
timber harvest volume.
  Targeting the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP): This Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) program enables landowners to establish long-term 
conservation practices on erodible and environmentally sensitive land in 
exchange for 10 to 15 years of rental payments. In 1998, 18.8 million 
acres of the most environmentally beneficial acres bid were accepted 
into the CRP, bringing total CRP enrollment to 30.3 million acres. 
Within the CRP, the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is a 
new program that addresses conservation issues of State and national 
significance through cost-sharing and targeting of Federal and State 
funds. Each CREP agreement outlines a monitoring and restoration plan to 
help meet the State's specific conservation goals. By 1999, six States 
(Oregon, Washington, Maryland, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York) had 
signed CREP cost-sharing agreements totaling about 500,000 acres and 
$1.2 billion over several years. USDA estimates that 25 States will have 
CREP agreements by the end of 2000.
  Empowering Citizens with Knowledge: In the past five years, the 
President has empowered citizens with new knowledge about the chemicals 
being released into their communities and has created new partnerships 
with industry to find cleaner manufacturing processes. On Earth Day 
1998, the Administration took another bold step to defend communities' 
right to know, announcing measures to make information about dangerous 
chemicals more widely available and more meaningful to families and  
communities.  Known as the Chemical Right-to-Know Initiative, these 
measures will ensure that the public has basic public health data for 
industrial chemicals released in communities, via an unprecedented 
voluntary partnership with industry. Companies will voluntarily test the 
human health and environmental effects of the chemicals they 
manufacture. Testing of the 2,800 most widely used chemicals should be 
completed by 2004.
  Reducing Air Pollution: In September 1998, the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) finalized rules to reduce smog-causing emissions 
of nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 28 percent in 22 eastern States and the 
District of Columbia. EPA projects that these regional NOx reductions 
will allow the vast majority of areas in these States to meet EPA's new 
public health smog standard without having to implement any additional 
costly controls. This is a key component of the effort by EPA and the 
States to protect downwind States from smog and smog-causing emissions 
that cross their borders from other States. Even upwind, States can 
achieve significant clean air benefits for their local communities. 
Consistent with the President's July 1997 implementation memorandum for 
new smog and fine particle standards, EPA gives States flexibility to 
decide how reductions are to be achieved, and also recommends that 
reductions be achieved cost-effectively. To ensure that the reductions 
are as cost-effective as possible, EPA will work with States to 
encourage the development of a market-based emissions-trading system. A 
similar market-based trading program already in effect has proven 
successful in allowing power plants to trade sulfur dioxide credits to 
control acid rain.
  Cleaning Up Toxic Waste Sites: EPA's Superfund program to clean up 
abandoned hazardous waste sites has become faster, fairer, and less 
expensive. Of the 585 sites cleaned up through the end of 1998, 430 
sites were cleaned up since the Administration took office in 1993, 
while only 155 sites had been cleaned up during the previous 12 years. 
The Administration proposes to clean up another 340 sites within the 
next four years, meaning that about two-thirds, or 925, of the Nation's 
worst toxic waste dumps would be cleaned by the end of 2002 (see Chart 
6-1). EPA's administrative reforms to the program have saved more than 
$1 billion in future costs by updating cleanup remedy decisions at more 
than 210 sites, while streamlining the liability allocation process to 
reach settlement with more than 18,000 small parties at Superfund sites. 
The budget proposes $1.5 billion to continue progress toward achieving 
the 900-site cleanup goal in 2002.

[[Page 99]]

  Redeveloping Contaminated Land: The Brownfields National Partnership 
is bringing together the resources of more than 20 Federal agencies to 
clean up and redevelop former industrial sites in economically 
disadvantaged areas. The initial two-year investment of $300 million is 
expected to leverage $5 billion to $28 billion in private investment, 
help create up to 196,000 new jobs, and help preserve existing uses in 
thousands of acres of undeveloped land. The brownfields tax incentive, 
enacted as part of the 1997 Taxpayer Relief Act, will leverage another 
$4 billion in private investment by allowing businesses to deduct 
certain clean up costs on environmentally contaminated lands. The 
Administration proposes to extend this tax incentive, which otherwise 
expires at the end of 2000.
  Making the Endangered Species Act (ESA) Work: Administration reforms 
have improved the way the ESA works. Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs) 
give State, local, and Tribal governments and the private sector the 
flexibility to protect endangered species and conserve habitat, while 
allowing for development. HCPs will cover an estimated 250 species by 
the end of 1999. The Administration is also providing earlier protection 
for at-risk species, to prevent having to list them as endangered later 
on. For instance, in 1998 the Federal Government entered into 40 
Candidate Conservation Agreements with private landowners or State and 
local governments. These and other efforts allowed 11 species to be 
approved for removal from the Candidate list.
  Improving Rangeland Management: Interior's Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM) is reforming and improving rangeland management by implementing 
regional and local standards and guidelines to establish the condition, 
health, and uses of lands it administers for grazing. The new standards 
and guidelines have been developed in concert with innovative consensus-
building Resource Advisory Councils (RAC) comprising local ranchers, 
recreationists, and experts in land management. Almost 4,500 grazing 
permits on BLM lands are expir

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ing and will be evaluated in 1999. Those permits will be evaluated based 
on the new RAC standards and guidelines, and renewed permits will use 
the new standards to evaluate rangeland health and grazing capacity.

Environmental and Natural Resource Investments

  The budget proposes to boost funding for high-priority environmental 
and natural resources programs by five percent, compared to 1999 levels 
(see Table 6-1).

  Preserving Great Places and Green Spaces, and Promoting Smart Growth: 
As we approach a new century, our Nation faces new challenges to 
preserving the natural heritage and green spaces that Americans have 
come to treasure. The budget proposes a new $1 billion Lands Legacy 
initiative (see Chart 6-2), supported by full funding from the Land and 
Water Conservation Fund's dedicated Federal Outer Continental Shelf 
(OCS) revenues, to protect Great Places and provide the tools for 
States, localities, Tribes, and land trusts to plan for smart growth and 
open space preservation. This initiative provides funding for States and 
other entities to conserve important lands for recreation, open space 
and wildlife habitat, plus the preservation of forests, farmland, and 
coastal areas.
  The initiative provides $442 million for Federal land acquisition, 
preserving the next generation of Great Places, including national 
parks, national forests, refuges, and coastal areas with flexibility to 
use this funding to cost share non-Federal land conservation. It also 
will provide $588 million targeted to State, local, and Tribal 
governments for land conservation, resources protection, and planning. 
This includes $150 million in grants to promote open space acquisition; 
habitat conservation; and protection of coastal areas, forest lands, 
urban and suburban parks and greenways, riparian areas, and wetlands. A 
new $50 million program to support State and Tribal planning for smart 
growth will be coordinated with similar activities being proposed under 
the Livability initiative. The Lands Legacy proposal also provides $382 
million for other programs to help private landowners and municipalities 
continue development while protecting endangered species, preserving 
farmlands and forests, and providing urban green space.

  Better America Bonds: As an additional feature of the Livability 
initiative, the Administration is proposing a new financing tool to 
preserve green space for future generations and provide attractive 
settings for economic development, which will generate $9.5 billion for 
investments by State, local and Tribal governments over five years. The 
budget proposes tax credits, totaling almost $700 million over five 
years, to support Better America Bonds, which can be used to preserve 
green space, create or restore urban parks, protect water quality, and 
clean up brownfields. The program will be administered jointly by EPA 
and the Department of the Treasury, in consultation with other agencies.
  Recovering Pacific Coastal Salmon: The budget proposes a broad 
interdepartmental Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Initiative to bolster 
and deploy existing and new Federal capabilities to assist in the 
conservation and recovery of at-risk Pacific salmon runs in the western 
States of California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. This new 
initiative responds to the proposed listings of these runs under the ESA 
by forming lasting partnerships with State, local, and Tribal efforts 
for saving Pacific salmon and their important habitats. The initiative 
has four main components:
  A proposed $100 million Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery fund 
          to help share the costs of State, Tribal, and local 
          conservation initiatives in California, Oregon, Washington, 
          and Alaska. The fund would be administered through Commerce's 
          National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with grants 
          matched dollar-for-dollar with non-Federal contributions.
  Improved coordination of Federal activities that may affect 
          salmon and their habitat, to ensure that Federal agencies and 
          activities are part of a lasting solution.
  Better access to the extensive Federal scientific capabilities 
          to ensure a broad and solid science foundation upon which to 
          construct a lasting recovery effort.

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                                         Table 6-1.  HIGH-PRIORITY ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES PROGRAMS
                                          (Budget authority unless otherwise noted; dollar amounts in millions)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                                         Dollar  Percent
                                                                                                             1998     1999      2000    Change:  Change:
                                                                                                            Actual  Estimate  Proposed  1999 to  1999 to
                                                                                                                                          2000     2000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Lands Legacy Initiative (LWCF-DOI, USDA, NOAA) \1\......................................................      386       459     1,030     +571    +124%
 
 Salmon Habitat Restoration:
  Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery (NOAA).................................................................  .......  ........       100     +100       NA
  Columbia/Snake River (Corps)...........................................................................      108        95       100       +5      +5%
 
 Climate Change Technology Initiative (DOE, EPA, USDA, DOC, HUD):........................................      819     1,021     1,751     +730     +71%
  Spending...............................................................................................    (819)   (1,021)   (1,368)   (+347)   (+34%)
  Tax Incentives.........................................................................................  .......  ........     (383)   (+383)     (NA)
 Clean Water Action Plan (EPA, USDA, DOI, NOAA, Corps)...................................................    1,436     1,643     1,975     +332     +20%
 
 
Department of Transportation (DOT):
  Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ)...........................................................      700     1,408     1,770     +362     +26%
  Environmental Enhancements.............................................................................      360       553       566      +13      +2%
 
 Endangered Species Act (DOI/NOAA).......................................................................      107       129       181      +52     +40%
 
 Department of the Interior (DOI):.......................................................................
  National Park Service Operating Program................................................................    1,246     1,286     1,390     +104      +8%
  Bureau of Land Management Operating Program............................................................      681       716       743      +27      +4%
  Fish and Wildlife Service Operating Program............................................................      595       661       724      +63     +10%
                                                                                                          ----------------------------------------------
    Subtotal, DOI (Select programs)......................................................................    2,522     2,663     2,857     +194      +7%
 
Department of Agriculture (USDA):
  Forest Service Operating Program.......................................................................    1,514     1,595     1,652      +57      +4%
  Natural Resources Conservation Service Operating Program...............................................      632       641       681      +40      +6%
  Water/Wastewater Grants and Loans \2\..................................................................      577       645       570      -75     -12%
  Wetlands Reserve Program (mandatory)...................................................................      231       132       209      +77     +58%
  Conservation Reserve Program (mandatory)...............................................................    1,760     1,576     1,597      +21      +1%
  Environmental Quality Incentives Program (mandatory)...................................................      200       174       300     +126     +72%
                                                                                                          ----------------------------------------------
    Subtotal, USDA (Select programs).....................................................................    4,914     4,763     5,009     +246      +5%
 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):...................................................................
  Operating Program......................................................................................    3,330     3,491     3,682     +191      +5%
  Clean Air Partnership Fund.............................................................................  .......  ........       200     +200       NA
                                                                                                          ----------------------------------------------
    Subtotal, All EPA (includes Superfund mandatory spending ) \3\.......................................    7,363     7,590     7,407     -183      -2%
 
 Department of Energy (DOE):
  Energy Conservation and Efficiency (gross).............................................................      612       692       838     +146     +21%
  Solar and Renewable Energy R&D (net)...................................................................      272       336       399      +63     +19%
  Federal Facilities Cleanup (Environmental Management Program)..........................................    5,862     5,830     5,939     +109      +2%
                                                                                                          ----------------------------------------------
    Subtotal, DOE (Select programs)......................................................................    6,746     6,858     7,176     +318      +5%
 
 Department of Defense (DOD):
  Cleanup................................................................................................    2,140     1,962     1,972      +10      +1%
  Environmental Compliance/Pollution Prevention/Conservation.............................................    2,466     2,434     2,199     -235     -10%
                                                                                                          ----------------------------------------------
    Subtotal, DOD (Select programs)......................................................................    4,606     4,396     4,171     -225      -5%
 
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA):
  Fisheries and Protected Species........................................................................      319       350       395      +45     +13%
  Ocean and Coastal Management...........................................................................      166       178       246      +68     +38%
  Ocean and Atmospheric Research.........................................................................      263       275       270       -5      -2%
                                                                                                          ----------------------------------------------
    Subtotal, NOAA (Select programs).....................................................................      748       803       911     +108     +13%
 
 Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (DOE, NSF, others).........................................      220       240       264      +24     +10%
U.S. Global Change Research (NASA, DOE, NSF, DOC, USDA, others)..........................................    1,677     1,681     1,786     +105      +6%
 GLOBE--Global Environmental Education (NOAA, NASA, EPA, NSF)............................................       12        10        13       +3     +30%
 Montreal Protocol (State/EPA)...........................................................................       40        45        55      +10     +22%
 Global Environment Facility (Treasury)..................................................................       48       193       143      -50     -26%
 Multilateral and Bilateral Assistance (International Programs/USAID)....................................      268       309       321      +12      +4%
                                                                                                          ==============================================
    Total \4\............................................................................................   30,840    32,223    33,929   +1,706      +5%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NA = Not applicable.
\1\ Includes non-LWCF base funding for certain programs--$116 million in 1998; and $130 million in both 1999 and 2000. Excludes $699 million in one-time
  LWCF 1998 funding.
\2\ The program level (grant budget authority plus loan levels) is projected to be $1.5 billion in 2000; 12-percent higher than in 1999.
\3\ Includes Superfund orphan share mandatory spending of $200 million in 2000.
\4\ Total adjusted to eliminate double counts and climate change tax incentives.


[[Page 102]]

  Enhancement of Federal, State, Tribal, and local coordinating 
          capabilities to ensure close partnerships in recovery efforts, 
          and promote efficiencies and effectiveness in the recovery 
          effort.
  This initiative is in addition to ongoing Columbia and Snake River 
(Washington, Oregon, Idaho) salmon restoration activities, including 
$100 million requested for the Army Corps of Engineers in 2000.

  Rewarding Early Pollution Reductions: The Administration strives to 
implement environmental protection in a common sense, flexible, and 
cost-effective manner. The new Clean Air Partnership Fund will provide 
the opportunity for State, local, and Tribal governments to partner with 
other parties and the Federal Government to demonstrate the most 
creative ideas for cleaning the air. The Fund will enable the 
development of smart multi-pollutant strategies that reduce greenhouse 
gases, air toxics, soot, and smog to protect our climate and our health. 
The President is proposing $200 million in 2000 for the Fund that will 
capitalize revolving funds and other financing mechanisms to fund 
projects that achieve innovative and early air pollution and greenhouse 
gas emission reductions.
  Addressing Global Climate Change Through Technology: The budget 
proposes $1.8 billion for the second year of the Climate Change 
Technology Initiative (CCTI), which is designed to promote energy 
efficiency, develop low-carbon energy sources, and reduce greenhouse gas 
emissions. Led by the Department of Energy (DOE) and EPA, the effort 
also includes USDA, HUD, and the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology. Of the amount proposed, $1.4 billion is for R&D spending on 
energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, and $0.4 billion is 
for tax credits to stimulate the adoption of energy efficient 
technologies in buildings, industrial processes, vehicles, and power 
generation.
  Implementing the Clean Water Action Plan (CWAP): The President and 
Vice President announced the Clean Water Action Plan (CWAP) last 
February in honor of the 25th

[[Page 103]]

anniversary of the Clean Water Act. The Action Plan focuses on three 
remaining challenges for restoring and protecting the Nation's 
waterways: (1) preventing polluted runoff; (2) protecting public health; 
and (3) ensuring community-based watershed management.
  The budget provides $2.0 billion in discretionary funding for the 
second year of this multi-agency initiative, a 20-percent increase over 
the 1999 level, and a $126 million, or 72 percent, increase in mandatory 
funding for USDA's Environmental Quality Incentives Program to help 
farmers prevent polluted runoff. The budget also includes increases for 
the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior (DOI) to better 
address water quality problems on Federal lands; for DOI to help States 
address pollution from abandoned mines; USDA to help farmers reduce 
polluted runoff from animal feed lots; the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to help States and local communities 
protect their coasts from the pollution that leads to degradation; and 
the Army Corps of Engineers to begin a new riverine ecosystem 
initiative--Challenge 21--to plan and implement projects that restore 
watersheds while providing flood hazard mitigation for communities.

  Restoring the California Bay-Delta Watershed: As part of the CWAP, the 
budget proposes $75 million for California Bay-Delta ecosystem 
restoration activities, the same level provided in 1999, and the 
Administration proposes to extend the funding authorization for these 
activities in order to secure the full $430 million authorized in 1996. 
The budget also includes $20 million for non-ecosystem components of the 
long-term Bay Delta restoration program. EPA anticipates that 
significant funding in Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act 
program grants provided to California could be used for the water 
quality portion of this program.
  Enhancing the Stewardship of National Treasures: The budget provides 
funding for the second year of the Facilities Restoration Initiative 
(FRI). In 2000, FRI provides an increase of almost $70 million, or five 
percent, for maintaining and restoring Bureau of Indian Affairs schools, 
as well as national parks, forests, refuges and other public lands, 
which are the heart of the Nation's natural, cultural, and historical 
legacy. As custodians of these resources, Federal land management 
agencies face growing demands to invest more to restore lands and 
rehabilitate an aging infrastructure of public facilities and trails. 
These needed investments protect wildlife habitat, maintain historic 
sites, and preserve our many national treasures like Glacier Bay 
National Park in Alaska, Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, and the Cabo Rojo 
Salt Flats in Puerto Rico.
  Mitigating Air Quality Impacts: As another component of the Livability 
initiative, the budget includes $1.8 billion, a 26-percent increase over 
the 1999 level, for Transportation's Congestion Mitigation and Air 
Quality Improvement program, which supports transportation projects to 
reduce congestion and improve air quality. It is the principal source of 
Federal funding directed to address the air quality impacts of 
transportation in nonattainment and maintenance areas designated under 
the Clean Air Act. Typical projects include mass transit, high-occupancy 
vehicle lanes, vehicle inspection and maintenance programs, and bicycle 
and pedestrian paths, the majority of which can be used to help 
communities promote smart growth.
  Funding the EPA Operating Program: The budget proposes $3.7 billion, a 
five-percent increase over 1999, for EPA's operating program, which 
includes most of EPA's research, regulatory, and enforcement programs 
and partnership grants, with States and Tribes. The operating program, 
which has grown 33 percent during this Administration, represents the 
backbone of the Nation's efforts to protect public health and the 
environment through sound science, standard setting, enforcement, and 
other means, ensuring that our water is pure, our air clean, and our 
food safe.
  Within the operating program, the budget fully funds the second year 
of EPA's part of the CCTI ($216 million) and the CWAP ($630 million). 
The budget also provides a $29 million increase for children's 
environmental health activities, particularly relating to asthma and 
developmental disorders.

  Financing Water Quality Infrastructure: The budget proposes $825 
million ($50 million over 1999) in EPA capitalization grants for 
Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs),

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which make low-interest loans to help municipalities meet the 
requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments. These funds will 
help ensure that Americans have a safe, clean drinking water supply--our 
first line of defense in protecting public health. By the end of 1998, 
every State had successfully established a Drinking Water SRF and begun 
disbursing loans to its communities.
  The budget also proposes $800 million in capitalization grants to 
Clean Water SRFs to help municipalities comply with the Clean Water Act, 
thus helping to reduce beach closures and to keep our waterways safe and 
clean. Those levels for the two SRFs will keep the programs on track 
toward achieving the Administration's goal of providing sufficient 
capital for the two SRFs to offer $2.5 billion a year in financial 
assistance to municipalities over the long run. The Clean Water SRFs are 
nearing full capitalization and are on schedule for reaching that goal 
in 2005.

  Accelerating Endangered Species Act Efforts: The budget proposes a 40-
percent increase, an additional $52 million, for a total of $181 
million, in Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service and Commerce's National 
Marine Fisheries Service, for the endangered species program. These 
funds will support the Administration's efforts to encourage private 
landowners to protect species, and recover salmon in the Pacific 
Northwest. The Endangered Species program increases are designed to 
encourage cooperative partnerships between the Federal Government and 
States, localities, Tribes, and private parties to recover listed 
species and prevent the need to list more.
  Supporting the Global Environment Facility (GEF): U.S. participation 
in the GEF is a cornerstone of our foreign policy on the environment. 
The GEF has become the world's leading institution for protecting the 
global environment and avoiding economic disruption from climate change, 
massive extinction of valuable species, and dramatic collapse of the 
oceans' fish population. The $143 million proposal for 2000--less than 
last year's appropriation of $193 million, which included payment of 
United States arrears to the GEF--includes $107.5 million for the 2000 
contribution to the GEF's second four-year replenishment program, from 
1999 to 2002, and $35 million for contributions previously due. U.S. 
funding for this program is crucial if the Nation hopes to continue 
influencing GEF's policies and lending strategies.
  Providing Multilateral and Bilateral Environmental Assistance: The 
budget proposes $321 million for bilateral and multilateral 
environmental assistance. Bilateral assistance includes U.S. Agency for 
International Development (USAID) activities to address topics such as 
biodiversity, and implement USAID's five-year, $1 billion commitment to 
address climate change issues in developing countries. Multilateral 
assistance funds U.S. voluntary contributions to the UN environmental 
system and other international organizations to address international 
environmental activities.
  Expanding the Federal Facilities Cleanup and Compliance: The Federal 
Government continues to address the huge challenge of cleaning up 
Federal facilities contaminated with radioactive or hazardous waste. DOE 
faces the most complex and costly problems from over 40 years of 
research, production, and testing of nuclear weapons and reactors. By 
the end of 2000, an estimated 76 of the 113 contaminated DOE sites will 
be cleaned up.
  The budget proposes $5.9 billion for DOE's Environmental Management 
program, including $1.3 billion to clean up quickly and return excess 
Federal property to beneficial use in local communities. The budget also 
proposes $228 million to continue to privatize waste remediation at such 
sites as the Hanford, Washington, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Idaho 
facilities, for which DOE pays for the delivery of treated waste that 
meets approved specifications. Privatization will help speed cleanups, 
reduce health risks, and cut costs at these sites.
  The Department of Defense (DOD), which operates one of America's most 
diverse and successful environmental programs, is focusing its efforts 
on reducing relative risk at its active and closing installations. As of 
early 1999, it is conducting studies or cleanups at nearly 700 military 
installations and 2,500 formerly-used properties. Moreover, it has 
determined that 15,265 sites require no further action. DOD also is 
making progress

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in its compliance and pollution prevention, conservation, and 
environmental technology programs. The budget proposes $4.2 billion for 
all DOD environmental activities, an amount that reflects a commitment 
to consistent and wise stewardship of DOD lands. The Administration is 
committed to making all current and former DOD property safe and clean.