Lake Erie Pollution Cleanup Gutted In Trump Budget Proposal

Environmental Protection Agency funding for pollution cleanup in the Great Lakes, the world’s largest freshwater supply, would be cut by 97 percent under President Trump’s 2018 budget proposal. The proposal would slash funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to $10 million, down from $300 million this year.

Overall, the EPA would lose $2 billion in funding — a 24 percent cut in funding — and some 3,000 employees would lose their jobs as Trump appears to be making good on campaign promises to begin work to abolish the agency. He called dismantling the EPA “an inspirational goal,” but said it would require both thought and time to determine where to assign certain programs currently overseen by the agency.

The GLRI has funded the restoration of wildlife habitat, efforts to combat invasive species and the cleanup of polluted watersheds.

The proposed Great Lakes cleanup cuts were first reported by the Oregonian, which obtained the budget document from the National Association of Clean Air Agencies. The White House has also proposed cuts for water pollution cleanup programs in the country’s two largest estuaries — Chesapeake Bay and Puget Sound, from $73 and $28 million to $5 million and $2 million, respectively.

Some programs would be completely eliminated, including a San Francisco Bay program and several state grant programs, including those aimed at reducing diesel emissions, water quality testing at beaches and radon testing.

Ohio politicians have spoken out against the proposed cuts. Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur said online that it's "Hard to imagine a more perilous time for the Trump Administration to abandon efforts that protect and restore our Great Lakes."

Congresswoman Marcia Fudge said in a Tweet that preserving the Great Lakes would be one of her top priorities.

Senator Sherrod Brown told cleveland.com he would "fight like hell in the Senate to restore this funding in full." Fellow Ohio Senator Rob Portman said through a spokesperson in the same cleveland.com article that the EPA program has been key in cleaning up Lake Erie.

Among the Great Lakes, Lake Erie is known for its huge, toxic algae blooms, including one in 2014 that cut off the Toledo, Ohio, drinking water supply. A small portion of southeast Michigan was affected as well.

Photo by Rachel Kramer via Flickr Commons

Written by Beth Dalbey, Patch