FY'75 POLLUTION CONTROL OUTLAYS TO APPROACH $5.3-BILLION - AIR/WATER pollution report

Oct 13, 2026

Weekly environmental newsletter coverage of U.S. EPA staffing and budget decisions in early 1974, highlighting Sen. Edmund S. Muskie’s criticism of President Nixon’s request to freeze EPA manpower levels and Administrator Russell E. Train’s response. It summarizes EPA’s requested additional positions and funding changes, then details fiscal 1975 federal pollution control outlooks, projecting total outlays near $5.263 billion and nearly $7.1 billion in obligations across water, air, land, and related pollutant categories with supporting figures.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

SLANTS & TRENDS

PRESIDENT NIXON'S REQUEST TO FREEZE EPA manpower levels for FY'75 at 9,203 permanent and 1,015 temporary positions

FY'75 POLLUTION CONTROL OUTLAYS TO APPROACH $5.3-BILLION

AIR/WATER pollution report

POLLUTION CONTROL AND ABATEMENT ACTIVITIES

| Leonard A.Eiserer
Publisher
Eric B.Easton
Editor | Weekly Worldwide Environmental Newsletter
Business Publishers,Ine.,P.O.Box 1067,Blair Stalion,Silver Spring,Maryland
20910,(301)587-6300.Subscription Rate:$120 per year,$70 for six months U.S.
Canada and Mexico;$130 per year in all other countries(includes air mail post-
age).Multiple copy rates on request to Henry E.Kleiner,Jr.,Business Manager. | | --- | --- | Vol.12 No.6 February 11,1974 Page 51 SLANTS &TRENDS PRESIDENT NIXON'S REQUEST TO FREEZE EPA manpower levels for FY'75 at 9,203 permanentand 1,015 temporary positions "represents a setback in our national commitment to a cleanenvironment,"Sen.Edmund s.Muskie(D.-Me.)charged last week."One can only construethis preposterous decision.… as further indication of an abandonment by this Presidentof any commitment to the quality of 11fe in America,"Muskie said,noting that much ofthe controversy surrounding the agency's actions is a result of inadequate staffing.Muskie's Senate Public Works Subcommittee on Air and Water Pollution plans to take upthe issue in public hearings this month. EPA ADMINISTRATOR RUSSELL E.TRAIN told newsmen last week he had asked the Administra-tion for an additional 436 positions;EPA now has 8,600 on board. Train said EPA wi11make "adjustments in its manpower resources inline with changing workloads and new pro-gram emphasis."Train also said he asked for $40-mi1lion more than he got,including$17-mill¹on more for state control agency grants,$4-m1111on more for water supply pro-grams,and $2-million more for pesticides.That doesn't include the $3-b1llion in sewagetreatment plant construction funds 1mpounded by the Administration,Train noted,addingthat he believed the Administration has decided to take that issue to the Supreme Courtfor resolution. IN ALL,TRAIN SAID THE NEW BUDGET reflected an"agency judgment that we need to put ourchips on air pollution research,"even at the expense of other agency programs。WhileEPA's air programs budget increased $13-m11lion --not counting special energy researchfunds --water quality research dropped $2.4-mi1lion. Train would not comment on re-cent General Accounting Office report showing water quality research spending to begrossly inadequate(A/WPR,Jan.21,1974,p.25),saying EPA was still studying the re-port.Train did note that EPA added $1-m1llion for the U.S.-Canadian demonstration proj-ect for the Great Lakes.See story below. ★ ** # FY'75 POLLUTION CONTROL OUTLAYS TO APPROACH $5.3-BILLION Actual expenditures for Federal pollution control activities in fiscal year 1975are expected to reach $5,263,000,000,according to President Nixon's national budget forFY'75 submitted to Congress last week.Total represents an increase of more than $1.5-billion over the revised spending estimate of $3.7-b11lion for FY'74(A/WPR,Feb.5,1973,p.51)。Nixon requested new pollution control and abatement budget authority forFY'75 totaling just over $1.9-bi1l1on,a figure which reflects the fact that $4-b11lionin contract authority for sewage treatment plant construction requested for FY'75 wasmade available in January 1974 as requlred by 1aw and that Congress has not yet author-ized FY'76 spending levels.Combined with unobligated funds from prevlous years,total $7.5-billion will be available for treatment plant construction. (Continued on following page) # AIR/WATER pollution report FISCAL 1975 POLLUTION CONTROL OUTLAYS TO APPROACH $5.3-BILLION(Cont.) In all,the Federal government plans to obligate nearly $7.1-billion for pol-lution abatement and control during FY'75,not quite $1-bi1lion more than revisedFY'74 obligations.By media polluted,this obligation total breaks down as follows:water(construction grants and 1oans),$5.2-bi1lion,up $681-ml1l1on;other waterpollution control programs,$696-m11lion,up $135-m11lion;air,$701-m11lion,up $71-mi1lion;land,$66-mi1lion,up $4-mi1lion;other(1iving things,materials,et

FAQs

Why did Sen. Edmund S. Muskie criticize the proposal affecting EPA manpower for FY'75?

Muskie called Nixon’s request a setback for the nation’s commitment to a clean environment and argued the staffing levels were inadequate, fueling controversy over EPA actions.

What did EPA Administrator Russell E. Train request regarding staffing and funding?

Train said he asked the Administration for an additional 436 positions and for $40 million more than received, including increases for state control grants, water supply programs, and pesticides.

What are the projected federal pollution control outlays for fiscal 1975?

The newsletter projects total federal pollution control outlays in fiscal 1975 to approach $5.263 billion, reflecting higher spending than the revised FY’74 estimate, along with near $7.1 billion in obligations for pollution abatement and control.

Oct 13, 2026

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