The federal budget impacts us all – consider the following focus areas in determining what story you want to tell: 

Potential Focus Areas 

Health impacts: How would budget investment or divestment affect the health of your community?  

• Examples: 
  • Lead in water – programs and grants for analysis and/or abatement 
  • Drinking water analysis – ground water contamination (nitrates, toxic chemicals) 
  • Drinking water infrastructure programs and grants – wells, treatment plants 

• News Stories that examine the health impacts of budget cuts: 
  • EPA Cuts To Alaska Native Villages Would Hit YK Delta Hardest And Deteriorate Health 
  • Dirty Facts: How EPA Budget cuts Impact Vulnerable Communities 

Economic impacts: How would the proposed budget impact the state or local economy?  

• Examples: 
  • Harm to businesses due to pollution – could be caused by aging wastewater infrastructure, Superfund sites 
  • Harm to businesses due to poor drinking water quality – poor drinking water infrastructure, inadequate analysis and science, upstream toxic contamination 
  • Harm to businesses due to fewer people fishing, going to beach, recreating around water due to pollution – nutrients/algal blooms, toxic contamination 

• News Stories that examine the economic impacts of budgetary decisions: 
  • Superfund Remedial program creates jobs, plus funding for over 1,000 new hires at EPA 
  • EPA cuts could hurt Cape Ann – ‘Everything we do is tied to having clean water’ 
  • EPA cuts could be costly to Tennessee 

Rural impacts: How would the proposed budget impact rural communities? 

• Examples: 
  • Determine if there’s adequate support for wastewater or drinking water infrastructure 
  • Funding for groundwater analysis 
  • Leaking Underground Storage Tank clean-up funding 
  • Impacts to Tribal assistance grants 

• News Stories that examine the impact of budget cuts on rural communities: 
  • President’s 2022 Budget includes increases  in funding for Indian Country, including  a 36% increase for Indian Health Service 
  • Increase of $100 million over FY 2021 to the Rural Water and Wastewater Grants and Loans 

A. Compile existing information:

Once you decide what issue you will focus on, the next step is to gather information. Many news organizations, academic institutions, state and local agencies, and nonprofits identify the likely impacts of proposed federal budget cuts on state water resources. The cuts or increases may be in water programs or grants, or they may be in non-water specific programs (e.g., USDA conservation programs, rural water infrastructure). 

Figure out which budget version the information applies to as you find information. The analyses may be of the President’s budget, or they may address proposals from Congress.

Information Sources:

• Search for any relevant analysis done by news outlets in your state, e.g., Google: “EPA budget cuts Alaska” or “USDA conservation budget changes in South Carolina.”
• Review existing state-specific analyses:
  • Federal Agency spending in your state:
    • Select “map” to view federal spending by state.  
    • Select filters on the column on the left, including fiscal year, agency, award type, and more. Click on “Agency” and then select the agency .
  • How much value every state gets from the federal government 
    • Ranks each state’s revenue provided by the federal government.  

B. Gather additional information:

The news stories you find and the national analyses that are available can tell a story of the impacts to your state, your watershed and your community. If you are time limited this will be important information to share with media and decision makers.

With more time, you can dig a little deeper. For example, determine how much of the federal money that goes to your state environmental agency goes to water program(s) and more specifics on what it funds (including staff positions).  Details like these will help you determine what is most at risk and where to focus time and effort on telling a more detailed story.

Potential areas to dive into:

• How does the agency use federal funds for water-related projects and programs? Ask for documents that break it down in sufficient detail.
• How are the funds divided among program administration (staff, office, etc.) and project grants? These categories will have different local impacts, and the grants may not be regular or certain year-to-year.
• Has the state done an analysis of the potential losses and how it would shift its resources to address the shortfall?
• Has the state prioritized programs and functions under various reduced funding scenarios?
• What other state agencies contribute to the work needed to protect water resources (e.g, fish and wildlife agency, health agency, agriculture department)?
• Has the state compiled the potential cumulative impacts to water resources across agencies? And if not, is there someone who can help you with such an analysis?

How to get this information

There are several ways to seek the information you need. Here are just a few ideas to get you started. Chances are, you have even better ideas that are most appropriate for where you work.

• Familiar face – If you have previously worked with someone at a state agency, it is always best to start with them. You may get redirected a few times, but a familiar face often gets you to the right place faster.
• Program staff working on your focus issue – If you don’t have personal contacts, you will get to your answers most quickly from staff working in the program of interest.
• Government relations – Given the high profile of the budget this year, you might start with someone who works on federal government relations for your state. They, in turn may refer you to specific departments.
• EPA Region water staff – If you aren’t having luck with your own state environmental agency, try your EPA Regional office and ask how they distribute funds in the program areas of interest to your state.