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2w ago

Watchdog Warns Dual State–Federal Cutbacks Threaten U.S. Pollution Enforcement

A new analysis warns years of state retrenchment leave agencies ill-equipped to assume EPA responsibilities sought under the White House’s FY2026 plan.

An alligator suns itself on the riverbank during a pontoon boat tour through Wekiva Wild River Tours, which depart daily from Wekiva Island in Longwood, on Dec. 20, 2024. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)
Dr. Loren Hopkins, chief environmental science officer for the city of Houston, left, and Earthea Nance, former regional administrator for the EPA, talk following a news conference announcing a nearly half million dollar grant for air monitoring on Monday, July 10, 2023 in Houston. The federal agency has since seen major cuts to its staff and grant funding, which could disproportionately impact Texas. 
The Exxon Mobil Baytown Olefins Plant burns pollutants on Jan. 24, 2023, in Baytown. 
Casey Luckett Snyder, with EPA Region 6, gives a presentation during the a meeting with the Fifth Ward community affected by creosote contamination on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023.

Overview

  • The Environmental Integrity Project reports that 27 states reduced pollution-control budgets from 2010 to 2024, with the steepest cuts in Mississippi, South Dakota, and Connecticut, and Florida eliminating the most jobs at 394 positions.
  • The White House is seeking about a 55% cut to EPA funding for FY2026 after significant staff and program reductions since January, while an EPA spokesperson projects 12,500 employees by end of FY2026 and expresses confidence in meeting core missions.
  • Congress has not finalized EPA funding, with competing proposals that would reduce the agency’s budget by roughly 23% in the House plan or about 5% in the Senate plan.
  • Texas faces particular strain as TCEQ’s inflation-adjusted budget fell 33% over the past decade and the agency reports a backlog of about 1,400 enforcement cases, even as industrial permitting demand grows.
  • Illinois cut about 20% of IEPA staff (around 193 positions) and reduced its inflation-adjusted budget by roughly 21% since 2010, and Florida’s environmental spending decreased 7%, trends advocates say weaken enforcement capacity if federal cuts proceed.