Environmental Protection Agency: Difficulties in Comparing Annual Budgets for Science and Technology.

This document discusses the Environmental Protection Agencys EPA budget justification for the Science and Technology account and certain changes that are observed among the justifications for fiscal years 1998,1999, and 2000. For fiscal year 2000, EPA seeks 642 million for the Science and Technology account, an amount representing 9 percent of the agencys total budget request of 7.2 billion. Each year, EPA provides to the congressional appropriations committees a budget justification for requested appropriations for the forthcoming fiscal year. This justification supplements the Presidents budget submitted to the Congress by providing additional details and shows funding levels for the previous fiscal year. This committee and others use the justification in deliberating EPAS budget, programs, and activities. EPAS budget justifications for fiscal years 1999 and 2000 differed significantly from its justifications for fiscal year 1998 and the prior year because they were organized according to the agencys strategic goals and objectives e.g., Clean Air Reduce Emissions of Air Toxics. These goals and objectives were established in the strategic plan EPA prepared to meet the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act. In contrast, the fiscal year 1998 budget justification was organized according to EPAS program offices and components e.g., Office of Air and Radiation Air Toxics.