Trump's Proposed EPA Cuts Threaten Health & Lives Amy Goodman - Democracy Now! | |
go to original March 4, 2017 |
New details have emerged on the Trump administration’s plans to dramatically reduce the power of the Environmental Protection Agency. According to a leaked copy of the EPA’s 2018 budget proposal, the agency’s overall budget would be slashed by 25 percent.
"The bottom line, if these cuts go through, we can almost guarantee with certainty that there will be more premature deaths and more sicknesses throughout the country," says Bill Becker, executive director of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies. "The public should be outraged at that."
This comes as the Trump administration has vowed to roll back Obama-era EPA actions, and the White House continues to grapple with its position on the Paris climate agreement. We are also joined by Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch.
Some highlights:
Puget Sound. Funding for restoration work in the country's second-largest estuary would be cut from $28 million to $2 million.
The Great Lakes. Funding to combat algae blooms, invasive species and other water pollution problems in the world's largest group of freshwater lakes would be cut from $300 million to $10 million.
The Chesapeake Bay. Funding for restoration in the country's largest estuary would be cut from $73 million to $5 million.
Research on endocrine disruptors. The EPA's work studying chemicals that can interfere with the body's reproductive and developmental systems would nearly be eliminated, dropping from $7.5 million to $445,000.
Diesel emissions. Since 2008, the EPA has issued grants to accelerate the country's transition from old, dirty diesel engines to cleaner burning trucks and equipment. They've been responsible for most of Oregon's progress in addressing cancer-causing diesel soot, a major air pollution source.
Beach water quality testing. The EPA spends about $9.5 million to fund state testing of bacteria levels at beaches around the country. In Oregon, it funds state testing during the summer. That would be eliminated.
The U.S.-Mexico border. Sewage and garbage from Mexico frequently sweeps into San Diego during winter rainstorms. The EPA has funded work there to slow the flood of garbage into the Pacific Ocean. Its program to address problems like that would be cut from $3 million to $275,000.
Environmental education. The EPA spends $8.7 million annually on programs to educate children. Spending on them would be cut to $555,000.
Related: Here Are 42 of President Donald Trump's Planned EPA Budget Cuts (Oregon Live)
Related: Source Reveals EPA Programs Trump's Budget Could Cut (CNN)
Related: Climate Change Rollback Would Threaten US National Security (The Dallas Morning News)
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