Forwarded by Jane Clark at [log in to unmask]

Action Alert-- Stop Congress from Slashing Clean Water Enforcement!
Calls Needed Monday

On July 17th the House Appropriations Committee will consider an
appropriations bill that confirms our worst fears: the enforcement
budget for EPA will be slashed. Calls to your appropriators in the House
are urgently needed to stop this from happening!

The House VA-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee has passed Bush's FY 2002
budget proposal to weaken EPA's enforcement of environmental laws by
cutting enforcement by $11 million and removing up to 270 staff
positions from the agency's work on compliance monitoring and civil
enforcement work. This reduction translates into a loss of nearly 8% of
all enforcement personnel for these activities, and nearly half of all
personnel reductions proposed by the agency.

What does this mean for clean water?
Network members know that states can't adequately address enforcement
issues without EPA. Enforcement of feedlots and combined sewer overflows
heavily relies on EPA funding. According to EPA data, more than 1 in 4
of the largest polluting facilities are in regular violation of the
Clean Water Act. To cut funding and staff for the agency charged with
overseeing and correcting this problem would be moving in the wrong
direction at the wrong time.

Iowa Rep. Tom Latham is a member of the House Appropriations
Committee.   Please call him with the following message even if you are not
in his district.  To contact him go to the Clean Water Legislative Action
Center at www.cwn.org or call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

Enforcement Message:
-- Enforcement of our country's environmental laws should be a priority
of the U.S. Congress.

-- Please restore full funding to the EPA's enforcement budget in the
EPA appropriations bill.

-- Do not cut the enforcement budget of EPA in order to increase the
enforcement budget of state agencies.

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