GAO Cites Options, Obstacles in Design, Implementation of Clean Water Trust Fund

摘要

Several options could generate revenue to finance a clean water trust fund, including a variety of excise taxes, but obstacles to their implementation would have to be overcome, the Government Accountability Office said in a report released June 29.rnGAO prepared the report in response to a congressional request to provide information on issues that would need to be addressed if Congress decided to establish a dedicated clean water trust fund to help meet a potential funding gap between projected future waste-water infrastructure needs and current spending levels. According to Environmental Protection Agency estimates, a potential gap of about $150 billion to $400 billion could occur over the next decade.