There’s no way that a 31% budget cut will not paralyze environmental protection and threaten public health.
Pruitt should answer how the EPA can carry out the basic requirements of safeguards in the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Toxics Substances Control Act if the agency loses 31% of its resources and more than 3,700 of its 15,300 people—while Trump also moves to roll back protections provided under those laws.
The EPA’s critical accomplishments in 2016 included: 13,500 compliance inspections and evaluations; 1,308 enforcement actions under the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act; 62 billion pounds of hazardous waste that enforcement actions required companies to address; and 190 million cubic yards of contaminated soil and groundwater cleanup commitments secured—enough to fill the Empire State building more than 138 times.
Trump’s budget sharply reduces funding for the Superfund program, cutting $330 million from the roughly $1.1 billion Superfund initiative.
Climate work would be rolled back by Pruitt.
Pruitt should answer whether he’ll commit that Americans’ drinking water safety won’t get worse if he successfully repeals Clean Water Act protections.
Trump signed an executive order on February 28 setting in motion steps to eliminate Obama-era clean water protections for waterways from which 117 million Americans get their drinking water.
More about these protections from pollution here.
But that’s without any new funding.
Even if you don’t want to believe in climate change, you’ve got to believe that carbon and mercury are not good for you.” Moves by Trump and Pruitt will lead to more air pollution.