Charleston Leader

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito has expressed concerns over the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) spending of taxpayer dollars under new programs initiated by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). As the Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, Capito addressed a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan, highlighting potential risks associated with these expenditures.

Capito emphasized that the urgency shown by EPA staff could lead to funds being awarded improperly without adequate transparency or accountability measures. "This rush on the part of your staff increases the risk that funding will be improperly awarded and spent without proper transparency, reporting requirements, and other safeguards to hold accountable organizations receiving taxpayer money," she stated in her communication to Regan.

The letter focuses on two sections of the IRA which allocate $30 billion: the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grants. These sections authorize new parts of the Clean Air Act.

Capito has requested detailed information from Administrator Regan about all grants made under these sections. She asked for charts listing grant obligations, grantee names, award amounts, and total grant figures. Additionally, she requested digital copies of each signed grant agreement executed under these provisions.

In her letter, Capito reiterated her longstanding concerns regarding potential waste and misuse within these programs due to a lack of oversight funding provided to the EPA Office of Inspector General in the law itself. She noted it is Congress's responsibility to ensure oversight.