Inhofe letter asks why EPA requests $1.24 billion in new funding, despite $2 billion on hand

[Geee]

Daily Caller:

Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Inhofe is challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s request for $1.24 billion in new funding when the agency has more than $2 billion at hand left over from the 2011 budget.

A February report from the Office of Management and Budget showed the agency still had $2.26 billion in unspent funding at the time. The EPA has requested $1.24 billion in additional funding for the 2012 fiscal year.

In a letter sent to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson Tuesday, obtained by The Daily Caller, Inhofe questioned the agency’s choice not to spend the unused funds and asked why its budget has grown so much.

“At a time when we are looking for every opportunity to cut spending and reduce the deficit, the EPA must be held accountable for why such a large portion of funds from the FY2011 Superfund budget sat idle and were clearly not used to protect the environment or public health,” Inhofe, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, told TheDC.

The $2.26 billion is part of the EPA’s “unobligated balance” — funding that has not been designated for a specific purpose. Inhofe asked in the letter why the non-designated funds totaled nearly a quarter of its budget.