Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. letter to J. C. K., September 24, 1996

.™MSgS5r““ «Congress of tfte ©nitrt States ЙшгёЕ of fitpreSentatibES Masfjiugton, 2ЭС 20515-2002 September 24, 1 996 JZSZZZ S£52, Essex. MD 21221 1410)780-3911 Dear | Thank you for conveying to me your comments about the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Environmental Educational Division. I agree with you. When it was founded in 1972, EPA’s mission was to enforce laws necessary to protecting public health and safety. Since then, however, EPA has drifted away from that specific goal, choosing instead to engage in “education” and other activities. Given current budgetary contraints, it is time for EPA to get its priorities straight. H. R. 2099, the fiscal year 1996 VA-HUD-Independent Agencies Bill, would have reduced overall funding for EPA. While I supported this bill, I also voted, on three separate occasions, to delete from an appropriations bill 17 legislative provisions unilaterally restricting EPA’s ability to enforce environmental laws and regulations. We must strike a balance between economic growth and environmental protection. However, I believe that eliminating wasteful expenditures at EPA, such as the program you mentioned, will not harm the environment one bit. Once again, thanks for writing. Please contact me again if I may be of future assistance. Sincerely, Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Member of Congress