News Releases - 2003

IEPA Director Urges Increased Federal Funding

Springfield, Ill. -- Warning that without significant increases in proposed federal funding for drinking water and clean water programs it will be "virtually impossible" to meet federally mandated goals, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director Renee Cipriano has urged Congressional action to reverse proposed cuts in federal funding.

In a June 20 letter to the state's Congressional delegation, Cipriano called for:

• efforts to secure presidential and U.S. EPA support for increased national funding for wastewater and drinking water loan programs, to $3.2 billion and $2 billion respectively,
• a funding increase to at least $150 million nationwide to assist states meet required oversight, enforcement and security responsibilities for drinking water and
• q a switch from the current "allotment based" formula for funding loan programs to a more equitable "needs-based" system that would benefit high-need states like Illinois.

At a time when U.S. EPA has estimated Illinois will need $300 million to meet annual capital expenditure needs, the presidential budget for FY 2004 proposes a 40 percent decrease from FY 2003, to a total of only $70 million to support both of the state's revolving funds, Cipriano wrote.

The two popular programs allow Illinois communities to secure low interest 20 year loans to upgrade utilities providing safe drinking water and necessary wastewater treatment to protect the state's rivers and streams. Since the loan funds depend on a match of state to federal dollars, a decrease in federal funding would sharply limit the amount available to help communities meet their needs.

In addition to projected funding shortfalls for the two loan programs, Cipriano called for increased federal help for cash-strapped states to develop and implement an array of Safe Drinking Water Act required programs, while continuing ongoing regulatory, prevention, enforcement and security obligations.

"State programs simply should not and cannot be expected to take on these added expectations and responsibilities without sufficient resources," the director told the delegation members. She noted that a U.S. EPA needs analysis projects the state will need $18 million to implement these programs, exclusive of security and other regulatory efforts instituted after 9-11-01. The president's proposed budget of $105 million for these programs would result in only an additional $400,000 for Illinois.

The U.S. EPA needs survey also showed Illinois has more than 6.6 percent of the nation's wastewater needs but currently receives only 4.5 percent of the wastewater appropriation, because the current system allots a minimum of .5 percent to every state regardless of its needs. Any increase in the minimum allocations to other states would further reduce available funds for high need states like Illinois, Cipriano said.