Did you know the EPA spent over $773 million on environmental research last year?
The agency may be known for its regulations and enforcement, but it also spends a lot of time conducting experiments on how to improve air quality, reduce pollution, and mitigate climate change. In this week's edition of The Taxpayer's Tab, NTUF featured one particular bill from Congressman Matt Salmon (R-AZ) that would put a stop to those activities altogether. Rep. Salmon introduced H.R. 4482 as part of his "Shrink Our Spending" initiative, a series of bills that would end government programs that his office claims are duplicative or inefficient. If enacted, Rep. Salmon's bill would end funding for the EPA's scientific research & development programs, reducing spending by about $766 million.
We also highlighted some other environmentally-focused legislation in this week's edition of The Tab:
- Most Expensive: Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD) and Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) introduced H.R. 3449/S. 1677 in their respective Chambers. The Innovative Stormwater Infrastructure Act would fund research related to reducing the effects of stormwater runoff, which both lawmakers say is a major source of pollution and causes significant environmental damage. The Act would cost taxpayers $350 million per year, a total of $1.4 billion over four years.
- Wildcard: Recently, the EPA proposed new regulations for wood-burning stoves and furnaces with stricter air pollutant restrictions for manufacturers. Burning wood is a critical means of producing heat for millions of rural families, so Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO) introduced H.R. 4407 to stop the potentially costly regulations from taking effect.
For more on these bills and to see what NTUF's been up to lately (and where our research is showing up), check out the latest edition of The Tab online.