{
  "id": "RL32201",
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      "title": "Water Infrastructure Projects Designated in EPA Appropriations: Trends and Policy Implications",
      "summary": "Designating funds within appropriations legislation for specified projects or locations has been a way for Congress to help communities meet needs to build and upgrade water infrastructure systems, whose estimated future funding needs exceed $630 billion. Such legislative action has often been popularly referred to as earmarking. This report discusses appropriations for water infrastructure programs of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), focusing on such designations in the account that funds these programs. Information on the programmatic history of EPA involvement in assisting wastewater treatment and drinking water projects is provided in two appendixes.\nCongressional appropriators began the practice of supplementing appropriations for the primary Clean Water Act (CWA) and Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) assistance programs with grants for individually designated projects in FY1989. These designated project grants are often referred to as earmarks, or as STAG grants. Since 1989, of the $67 billion appropriated to EPA for water infrastructure assistance, $7.4 billion has gone to designated project grants. Beginning in FY2000, appropriators awarded such grants to a larger total number of projects, resulting in more communities receiving such assistance, but at the same time receiving smaller amounts of funds, on average.\nMembers of Congress may intervene to provide funding for a specific community for a number of reasons. In some cases the community may have been unsuccessful in getting state approval to fund the project under other programs. Some, especially small and rural communities, seek a grant because the cost of a project financed through a state loan which must be fully repaid is deemed unacceptably high (loans are the primary assistance under the CWA and SDWA). However, this congressional practice has been criticized by state water program managers and administrators of infrastructure financing programs because designated projects are receiving more favorable treatment (55% federal grants, rather than loans) and because the practice sidesteps the standard process of states\u2019 determining the priority by which projects will receive funding. Projects so funded through appropriations acts also have generally not been reviewed by congressional authorizing committees.\nAttention is often drawn to the relatively few projects that have received large special project grants (more than $100 million), especially over multiple years. The majority of designated projects, however, have received comparatively small amounts. More than 75% of the projects designated in the EPA appropriations legislation received total awards (either in a single year or over multiple years) of $2 million or less. Growing criticism of congressional earmarks resulted in banning the practice since FY2011, but some policy makers and constituents would like to see a return of congressionally designated special project funds for EPA\u2019s water infrastructure and other programs.",
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      "id": "RL32201_2010Oct28",
      "date": "2010-10-28",
      "retrieved": "2010-12-04T14:26:25",
      "title": "Water Infrastructure Projects Designated in EPA Appropriations: Trends and Policy Implications",
      "summary": "This report discusses appropriations for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) water infrastructure programs, focusing on\r\ncongressional special project designations in the account that funds these programs. While some Members of Congress, interest groups, and Administration officials are critical of these types of congressional actions, there is little indication that the practice will cease. Information on the programmatic history of EPA involvement in assisting wastewater treatment and drinking water projects also is provided in two appendixes.",
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        {
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          "id": "Water pollution",
          "name": "Water pollution"
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        {
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          "id": "Waste water",
          "name": "Waste water"
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          "name": "Environmental protection"
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          "id": "Environmental law and legislation",
          "name": "Environmental law and legislation"
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          "id": "Environmental protection - Appropriations",
          "name": "Environmental protection - Appropriations"
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      "id": "RL32201_2008Nov17",
      "date": "2008-11-17",
      "retrieved": "2014-12-05T09:57:41",
      "title": "Water Infrastructure Projects Designated in EPA Appropriations: Trends and Policy Implications",
      "summary": "This report discusses appropriations for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) water infrastructure programs, focusing on congressional special project designations in the account that funds these programs. While some Members of Congress, interest groups, and Administration officials are critical of these types of congressional actions, there is little indication that the practice will cease. Information on the programmatic history of EPA involvement in assisting wastewater treatment and drinking water projects also is provided in two appendixes.",
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          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Water pollution",
          "name": "Water pollution"
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        {
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          "id": "Environmental protection",
          "name": "Environmental protection"
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          "name": "Environmental protection -- Appropriations"
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          "id": "Budgets",
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      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc810957/",
      "id": "RL32201_2008Aug19",
      "date": "2008-08-19",
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      "date": "2008-01-23",
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      "id": "RL32201_2007Apr10",
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      "id": "RL32201_2006Dec13",
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      "title": "Water Infrastructure Project Earmarks in EPA Appropriations: Trends and Policy Implications",
      "summary": "This report discusses appropriations for EPA water infrastructure programs, focusing on congressional earmarks in the account that funds these programs. Information on the programmatic history of EPA involvement in assisting wastewater treatment and drinking water projects is provided in two appendixes.",
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          "id": "Water supply",
          "name": "Water supply"
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