Washington, D.C. -- The Trump administration today released its budget proposal for 2021. Like the past three years, this proposal contains a drastic cut to the budget of the Environmental Protection Agency. As in previous proposals, the Administration wants to slash funding for programs that protect important watersheds like Puget Sound, San Francisco Bay, the Everglades, and more.
Clean Water Action President and CEO, Bob Wendelgass, released the following response:
“Every time you think the President has reached the bottom, he finds a way to dig deeper. This proposal is outrageous and would jeopardize the health and wellbeing of communities across the country if it were enacted. Congress needs to reject this budget quickly.
The proposed budget slashes funding for water through the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRF) by more than 28%. This cut alone would cost states nearly $800 million they rely on to protect water. Coupled with his dangerous agenda, this budget shows that the President truly is running the worst ever administration for our environment and health. In just the past few weeks, Trump’s EPA cut protections for streams and wetlands to the lowest level since the early 1980s and wants to let coal-fired power plants to dump even more waste in our lakes and rivers. The Administration is also seeking to dramatically weaken the National Environmental Policy Act, making it harder for communities to speak out against risky or poorly planned projects.
Trump’s budget proposal is like the rest of his administration -- bad news for our water, for our climate, and for our communities -- and we’re going to do everything we can to disrupt its agenda.”
###
Since our founding during the campaign to pass the landmark Clean Water Act in 1972, Clean Water Action has worked to win strong health and environmental protections by bringing issue expertise, solution-oriented thinking and people power to the table. We will protect clean water in the face of attacks from a polluter friendly Administration. www.cleanwateraction.org