President's Proposed Budget Cuts Will 'Incapacitate’ State Environmental Programs - $120+ Million At Risk In DEP’s Budget; Drinking Water, Wastewater Infrastructure Funding Cut 89%

The Environmental Council of the States and the Environmental Protection Network reported this week the President's Budget Request issued on May 2 would cut over $1 billion going to states to administer federal pollution control and permitting programs, eliminating 16 of the 19 categorial state grants. 

In addition, the President proposes to cut drinking water and wastewater revolving infrastructure funding by 89%.

The programs hardest hit include Air Quality, Water Quality, Brownfields Redevelopment, federal Superfund/Hazardous Sites Cleanup, Nonpoint Source Water Pollution Reduction, Pesticide Regulation and more.

On May 3, the Environmental Council of the States, which represents state environmental agencies, wrote to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and said--

"States carry out more than 90% of the nation’s federal environmental programs in communities around the United States, and states, state legislatures, and the business community depend on Congress to fund our efforts through grants and partnerships with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 

"Such dramatic budget cuts to states will incapacitate state environmental programs while creating significant uncertainty for state legislatures and businesses across the United States. 

"Further, the proposal to dramatically shrink the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds will also hurt the heretofore unified effort to address the nation’s water infrastructure needs, which is necessary not only to protect human health and the environment, but also to grow the economy."

"If Congress were to adopt the White House recommendation for discretionary spending, states may be required to terminate primacy, delegation, or authorization agreements and return full program implementation to EPA. 

"This would overwhelm EPA and have detrimental impacts to economic development. 

Click Here for a copy of the ECOS letter.

The Environmental Protection Network, which represents former career staff at EPA, prepared this more detailed overview of the proposed cuts to EPA’s budget.

Pennsylvania Impact

There is no doubt, if the President’s proposed cuts are enacted with no make-up funding by the state, that Pennsylvania’s primary environmental protection programs supported up until now by a shared federal-state partnership, would be incapacitated.

Over $120 million in DEP’s budget would be at risk, including basic support for the Air Quality, Water Quality, Safe Drinking Water, Radiation Protection, Storage Tanks and related grants to support local projects.

The Governor’s Executive Budget details just some of the federal line items (marked with an (F)) at risk--

-- Air Pollution Control - $4.2 million

-- Air Pollution Control Grants - $6.8 million

-- Water Pollution Control - $$5.5 million

-- Water Pollution Control Grants - $8.9 million

-- Chesapeake Bay Pollution Abatement - $23 million

-- Oil Pollution Spills Removal - $1 million

-- Nonpoint Source Pollution Control - $14.8 million

-- Water Quality Planning - $1.15 million

-- Safe Drinking Water - $7 million

-- Safe Drinking Water Grants - $5.7 million

-- Local Assistance & Source Water Protection - $11.2 million

-- Technical Assistance To Small Water Systems - $1.75 million

-- Assistance to State Programs - $8 million 

-- Storm Water Permitting Initiative - $1.4 million

-- Storage Tank Regulation - $4.7 million

-- Wetland Protection - $840,000

-- X-Ray Equipment Testing - $1.3 million

-- Radon Abatement - $700,000

-- Dam Safety - $1.5 million

-- Environmental Justice - $1 million

-- Zika Vector Control Response - $100,000

Basic federal State Revolving Fund support for drinking water, water pollution reduction and wastewater projects administered by PennVEST would be cut by an estimated $89.2 million, according to the Alliance for the Great Lakes, not including additional water infrastructure funding under the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.

Click Here For President’s FY 2025 Budget Request.

These are only estimates based on the general information available so far. However, the impact is likely to go higher as more details become available for other federal agencies.

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[Posted: May 9, 2025]  PA Environment Digest