HOUSE PANEL KILLS FUNDS FOR KEY WHITE HOUSE WATER, AIR INITIATIVES

House appropriators have thrown into doubt major water and air initiatives touted by the White House as President Bush's key environmental priorities, by rebuffing the president's request for a dramatic increase in funds for the programs in EPA's fiscal year 2006 budget. EPA sources say the dramatic cuts, of 44 percent and 87 percent to a Great Lakes cleanup program and a greenhouse gas reduction initiative, respectively, might prevent the agency from meeting the programs' stated goals. "We really need...