Deep cuts to state budgets and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are hindering regulators from adequately protecting the public from pollution, according to a report by the Environmental Integrity Project. These financial struggles come as the fossil fuel, plastics, and petrochemical industries expand, noted EIP Executive Director Jen Duggan.
With reduced resources, Duggan emphasized, “protections that every American has under our environmental laws are not being realized.” President Trump’s budget proposal suggests slashing 2026 EPA spending by 55%, or $4.2 billion. House Republicans propose a 25% cut, while the Senate Appropriations Committee suggests a 5% reduction.
If implemented, these budget cuts would worsen the EPA’s financial crisis. Over 15 years, the agency’s budget dropped by 40%, with workforce reductions of 18%. Since Trump began his second term, over 3,000 EPA employees have left due to the administration’s measures.
States are forced to compensate for federal cutbacks, aligning with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin’s vision of empowering state agencies. However, the Trump administration aims to eliminate most EPA grants to states, limiting their capacity.
Texas has reduced the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) budget by a third over a decade, adjusting for inflation, per the EIP report. Additionally, 30% of TCEQ employees have less than two years of experience, and 50% less than five years.
Kathryn Guerra, formerly at TCEQ and EPA Region 6, noted that funding cuts render TCEQ largely ineffective, compounded by potential EPA cuts. The TCEQ biennial report reveals a 351-day average to process enforcement cases, with a backlog of 1,400 cases.
States with significant environmental agency budget cuts from 2010–2024 include:
- Mississippi—71%
- South Dakota—61%
- Alabama—49%
- Texas—33%
- Montana—32%
North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) budget decreased 32% from 2010-2014. However, a 2015 restructuring complicates quantifying reductions. Drew Ball from the Natural Resources Defense Council highlighted the impacts on state residents, such as delayed response to environmental issues post-Hurricane Helene.
From 2020 to 2024, North Carolina’s population grew over 5%, while DEQ’s budget declined. In 2019, the DEQ budget was $97.4 million, or $123.7 million today. The 2023 budget was $108.7 million, or $115.8 million today—a 6% decrease.
Permit fees fund some DEQ functions. Cleaner air regulations have reduced emissions from Title V facilities, lowering the revenue from “billable tons” by 54% over a decade. Despite fewer staff, facilities still require inspections and permit renewals.
North Carolina saw the largest staffing cuts in environmental agencies from 2010 to 2024. Other states with significant cuts include:
- Connecticut—26%
- Arizona—25%
- Louisiana—24%
- Missouri and Kansas—20%
The DEQ faces challenges in employee retention and hiring, with past vacancy rates over 20%. Drew Ball noted that families face environmental hazards without sufficient agency support, as DEQ struggles with shrinking staff and budget, while facing proposed federal cuts.
Original Story at insideclimatenews.org