Environmental Protection Issues Facing the Nation

In fiscal year 1978, 22 federal departments and agencies expect outlays of $11.5 billion for environmental programs. The Environmental Protection Agency accounts for about half of these outlays ($6 billion). Although covering a wide range of activities, federal environmental programs are classified in three broad categories: (1) pollution control and abatement; (2) understanding, describing, and predicting the environment; and (3) environmental protection and enhancement.