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Last night, House and Senate leaders reached a deal that will permit the two chambers to sign off on an omnibus spending measure and finalize remaining Fiscal Year 2012 spending.  The overall funding for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Interior will remain slightly below the enacted levels for FY 2011, but significantly higher than levels the House Republicans had proposed in July.  A list of funding levels for water programs, including the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) can be found below and the text of the conference report is available by clicking here.

Controversial environmental riders, which had passed in the House appropriations bill, were not included in the final package.  These riders would have prevented EPA from implementing the Chesapeake Bay total maximum daily load (TMDL) and numeric nutrient criteria in Florida, as well as prevented the EPA from updating its stormwater discharge permits to manage runoff from post-construction sites.

The bill will be voted on in the House today and likely the Senate as well. The President has said he will sign the bill.  NACWA will continue to work with Congress to ensure the best possible federal spending outcomes for the clean water community and will remain focused on ensuring broad support for EPA’s integrated permitting effort and the goals of the Association’s Money Matters . . . Smarter Investment to Advance Clean Water™ campaign.

Interior Bill Funding Levels