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Bush Administration Cuts Clean Water Spending; Hurts Jobs, Health, Environment

This week the Senate is scheduled to take up a bill that calls for reducing spending on clean water programs by almost $500 million – a rollback that could lead to nearly 50,000 lost jobs as well as a rise in sewer overflows, polluted water, and disease outbreaks, according to a new report. [1]


"All Dried Up: Clean Water is Threatened by Budget Cuts," was released this morning by a broad coalition of state and local governments, construction, labor, environmental and public health groups.


The report provides a state-by-state breakdown of lost federal dollars, the number of jobs the lost money would have created, the number of projects at risk of being held up if the cuts go through, and the percentage of waters in each state that are already polluted. It can be found at www.nrdc.org.


The House has already passed a spending bill that includes the $500 million in clean water cuts called for in President Bush’s budget. The cuts come out of the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund, which gives money to communities to rehabilitate aging sewer plants and reduce raw sewage overflows and storm water runoff.


The Senate may take up the bill as early as today.


"That Congress would even consider slashing federal funding for communities to help ensure clean water for all Americans is mind-boggling," said Nancy Stoner, clean water director at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), which is leading the coalition. "This White House repeatedly has pushed for massive cuts in clean water spending, but this is the first time Congress appears willing to go along," she said in a press release.


Cutting federal funding for sewer systems can have serious health implications. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that between 23,000 and 75,000 sewage overflows occur across the country each year, releasing 3 billion to 10 billion gallons of untreated wastewater.


Raw sewage can carry e.coli, salmonella, dysentery, hepatitis and other diseases. Every year, millions of Americans get sick from swimming in or drinking water contaminated by these bacteria, viruses and parasites.


There are also financial implications. Clean water programs provide jobs for engineers, contractors, manufacturers, administrators and construction workers. Communities need clean water to attract tourists and maintain recreational uses of their rivers, lakes and beaches.


The report also finds that many communities already have a backlog of projects, such as aging pipes that need replacing, and the need to improve control of wet weather sewage overflows. It cites EPA figures estimating at least $388 billion is needed in communities across the country for new and repaired equipment to meet current clean water infrastructure needs. [2]



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SOURCES:
[1] NRDC press release, Sep. 14, 2004.
[2] "All Dried Up: Clean Water is Threatened by Budget Cuts," NRDC report.
http://www.bushgreenwatch.org/