Submitted by Savannah Wery - Sierra Club Wisconsin Legislative Intern
By ensuring that our water is clean, our air is breathable, and that our communities are protected from toxic hazards and the impacts of climate change, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides far-reaching benefits to all Americans. The EPA coordinates with state and local governments, businesses, and other stakeholders to provide states with services through grants, to enforce the law, and to set health and safety standards. However, President Trump’s budget proposes slashing the agency by nearly a third. This is essentially a plan for more pollution, less accountability for breaking the law, and worse health conditions for Wisconsin. Through several efforts, the EPA is essential in protecting the health and wellbeing of Wisconsinites and Wisconsin’s environment. Such efforts include protecting Wisconsin’s water resources, defending clean air in Wisconsin, protecting Wisconsin’s communities from toxic hazards, promoting cost-saving energy efficiency in Wisconsin, and fighting climate change.
Protecting Wisconsin’s Water Resources
Nationally, the EPA sets health-based standards limiting contaminants in drinking water and establishing thresholds for safe swimming and fishing. It provides billions of dollars to communities to deliver safe drinking water and to improve water quality. The EPA can also step in to ensure the safety of drinking water sources, threatened by oil and gas, when states refuse to act. After disasters, the EPA provides resources to get drinking water and ensures that sewage treatment is back online quickly. The EPA has been fundamental in protecting Wisconsin’s water.
The EPA provides states with grants to implement control programs for “non-point” sources of water pollution, like agricultural runoff. Although these sources are often poorly controlled, they can be significant contributors to water bodies’ degradation. In Fiscal Year 2016, the EPA provided Wisconsin with approximately $4.1 million. Trump’s budget proposes cutting categorical grants by nearly 45%.
In Fiscal Year 2016, the EPA provided Wisconsin with over $36 million in water infrastructure grants under the Clean Water Act’s State Revolving Fund program. Nationally, EPA reports that since 1987, the program has “provided over… $118.7 billion to communities” and has supported “38,450 low-cost loans” for wastewater system repairs and upgrades that prevent raw sewage discharges, manage contaminated urban runoff, and upgrade publicly owned treatment facilities. By slashing clean drinking water funding for small rural communities, coming through the Department of Agriculture, Trump’s budget proposal would reduce the overall national investment in water infrastructure and place additional pressure on the revolving funds.
The EPA’s Clean Water Rule protects small streams and other critical water bodies. In Wisconsin, headwater, rain-fed, and seasonal streams contribute to the drinking water supplies of over 390,000 people. Therefore, the budget for the EPA programs that prevent water pollution should not be reduced to ensure that Wisconsinites have access to safe drinking water.
The proposed Trump budget eliminates the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), an essential tool for cleaning up the largest surface freshwater resource in the Western hemisphere. It provides resources to clean dangerous industrial contamination, fix water infrastructure that prevents sewage contamination, install invasive species control, reduce the runoff of nutrients that fertilize algal blooms, and maintain essential monitoring of the Lakes’ water quality. Combined with broader EPA cuts, the elimination of this program presents an even greater threat to the region.
"The budget for the EPA programs that prevent water pollution should not be reduced to ensure that Wisconsinites have access to safe drinking water."
Defending Clean Air in Wisconsin
On a national level, the EPA sets and enforces limits on dangerous air pollutants from factories, refineries, power plants, oil and gas extraction, and vehicles. Ensuring these laws are implemented protects public health. It does so by helping prevent asthma attacks, birth defects, as well as respiratory and cardiovascular disease and cancer. In addition, the EPA ensures Wisconsin is protected from other states’ unsafe air pollution, because dirty air doesn’t stop at state lines. We need the EPA to help us fight to defend Wisconsin’s air.
The EPA standards to reduce dangerous air pollution and toxic mercury from power plants in Wisconsin will create $1.8 billion in health benefits for the state. Cutting funding for the EPA could jeopardize clean air programs that create millions of dollars in health benefits. In WIsconsin, EPA programs that reduce dangerous air pollution and toxic mercury save up to 654 lives a year. Cutting the EPA’s budget will not protect our air or health.
The EPA plays a central role in protecting our air quality, providing benefits to the 460,237 adults and 131,981 children in Wisconsin diagnosed with asthma. Asthma attacks were the cause of 12,250 pediatric emergency room visits and over $1 billion in associated medical costs in Wisconsin in 2008.
Trump’s budget would cut enforcement by 24%, eliminating funding to pursue cases when power plants violate laws that reduce dangerous emissions in Wisconsin’s communities.
"Cutting the EPA’s budget will not protect our air or health."
Protecting Wisconsin’s Communities from Toxic Hazards
The EPA regulates hazardous waste treatment, handling, and disposal facilities across Wisconsin and the country to prevent the contamination of our air, water, and soils by toxic chemicals. The agency’s Superfund Program is also responsible for protecting communities by preventing and cleaning up hazardous releases that endanger community health. Through this program, the EPA provides resources to identify and clean up contaminated sites, such as brownfields.
In Wisconsin, there are 37 hazardous waste sites on the EPA’s National Priority List for the Superfund Program, which helps communities clean up toxic pollution. Trump’s proposed budget would cut the Superfund Program by more than 30%, slowing down its ability to help clean up these sites. There are also 67 brownfield sites in Wisconsin, which is land contaminated and in need of cleanup to be used or redeveloped. Without funding, the EPA won’t be able to clean up dangerous contamination.
"Without funding, the EPA won’t be able to clean up dangerous contamination."
Promoting Cost-Saving Energy Efficiency in Wisconsin
The EPA maintains the ENERGY STARⓇ program, which helps consumers identify the most energy efficient appliances, equipment, and buildings that can save them money and energy. Over 450,000 buildings across the country use ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager database to track and publish their energy use. Of these, 30,000 commercial buildings— offices, hospitals, congregations, and schools—have achieved an ENERGY STAR rating of 75 or higher. This means the building is more efficient than at 75 percent of all similar building types in the nation. In Wisconsin, 638 buildings are ENERGY STAR-rated.
In the United States, almost 10,000 school buildings have achieved an ENERGY STAR rating of 75 or higher that results in cost-savings and improved indoor air quality. In Wisconsin, 336 schools have earned this ENERGY STAR rating with an estimated cost saving of $6.5 million. Trump’s budget would eliminate this program entirely, preventing future efficiencies and savings.
Fighting Climate Change
Climate change poses threats to our health and our economy. Last year was the 5th hottest year on record in Wisconsin. The EPA has the responsibility to clean up the dangerous carbon pollution that fuels climate change. In fact, the EPA already finalized a plan that would save up to $54 billion and 3,500 American lives by 2030. Cutting funding for EPA climate change programs will endanger lives and cost money across Wisconsin and the country.
The EPA fights for what’s best for Wisconsin, both for its people and its environment. Cutting costs is inevitable in a budget, but slashing the EPA by a third is not in Wisconsin’s or any state’s best interest. Wisconsin needs the EPA, its grants, and its protections in order to stay clean, healthy, and safe. Trump’s proposed budget hinders the EPA from giving Wisconsin what it needs.