EPA Releases Strategic Plan in Conjunction with President’s Proposed $11.8 Billion Budget to Address Climate Change, Environmental Justice

The Environmental Protection Agency issued its strategic plan for the fiscal year 2022-2026 on March 28 in conjunction with President Biden’s proposed budget for the fiscal year 2023. The budget proposal requests $11.8 billion for the agency, complementing the resources provided in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The agency plan outlines strategies to meet President Biden’s environmental priorities over the next four years.

Key priorities in the plan include addressing the climate crisis, advancing environmental justice, protecting air quality, and updating the aging water infrastructure. In addition, the plan demonstrates the agency’s commitment to the environment, focusing on underprivileged and overburdened communities and addressing climate change. There are seven goals and four cross-agency strategies outlined in the plan, along with ways to monitor progress and ensure that the goals are met.

In the proposed budget, $5.7 billion would be allocated to support environmental justice and cleanup efforts with tribes, states, and local governments. Approximately $4 billion will be devoted to advancing efforts to upgrade water and wastewater infrastructure throughout the country, with a focus on underserved areas.

As part of the Budget, $1.1 billion is allocated for reducing air pollution, reducing exposure to radiation, and improving indoor air quality. About $152 million of this will be used to support the development of national emission standards that are expected to reduce air pollution associated with vehicles, engines, and fuels. The budget also provides $299 million for air pollution control agencies to develop, implement, and evaluate programs for National Ambient Air Quality Standards and regulating air toxics.

Furthermore, the budget takes action to address the climate crisis, investing an additional $100 million in grants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the resiliency of the nation’s infrastructure. In addition to investing an additional $13 million in wildfire prevention and readiness, the budget proposes a $35 million grant to encourage innovation to phase out potent greenhouse gases called hydrofluorocarbons.

Additionally, the President’s Justice40 pledge calls on federal investments in clean energy and climate to benefit historically underserved and burdened communities to at least 40 percent. More than $1.45 billion is expected to be invested across the agency’s programs that contribute to creating good-paying jobs, cleaning up pollution, improving racial equity, and ensuring environmental justice. In an effort to make environmental justice a top priority for the agency, EPA also proposed a new office for environmental justice, to coordinate and maximize benefits from the Agency’s programs and activities.

The budget also aims to create good-paying jobs, reduce pollution, promote racial equity, and ensure environmental justice for all communities by investing more than $1.45 billion. Furthermore, the agency’s superfund programs will receive $1.15 billion to continue clearing contaminated land and responding to environmental emergencies. Over 1,900 new full-time equivalents will also be added to the agency’s current staff.