EPA Chief Defends 2012 Budget Proposal

Lisa Jackson, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), defended the agency’s budget request before a joint committee hearing in the House. 

“This FY2012 budget request will allow the EPA to carry out its core mission and fund the most critical efforts to protect the health of American families,” Jackson said.

The EPA’s 2012 budget will total $8.973 billion, according to Jackson, nearly a 13 percent decrease from its 2010 budget. The 2010 budget was the EPA’s highest funding level since its creation. 

“This budget reflects good fiscal sense and makes many tough choices,” Jackson said.