Pro-EPA Rally Being Held Thursday In Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA – Environmental Protection Agency employees in the Mid-Atlantic region are gathering for a rally Thursday afternoon in Philadelphia to illustrate the importance of the agency as potential federal budget cuts loom.

EPA engineers, scientists, lawyers and many others, some of whom are also American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 3631 members, will converge on Independence Hall from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday in Philadelphia.

The rally will underscore the solidarity for the work the science-based work that the EPA performs to keep families healthy, communities safe and America’s future strong, according to organizers. The rally will also "elevate attention to the federal budget cuts proposed for the EPA, which will negatively impact the organization’s ability to protect human health and the environment."

“As one of the largest federal employee union’s in the country, we want to let AFGE members everywhere, as well as all EPA workers, know that the work they do is most appreciated and we will do everything we can to help them so they can continue to help and protect us," Gary Morton, President of AFGE Local 3631, said. "The work of the Environmental Protection Agency is not against the U.S. economy. We see protecting public health and safety as part and parcel to job creation. Science-based solutions contribute to the economy."

Additionally, representatives from the Social Security Administration; VA Service Center; and the National Park Service will be at the rally where they will speak to how the inadequate budget will affect the lives of residents of the mid-Atlantic states.

AFGE Local 3631 represents US EPA Region 3, which includes Pennsylvania, Delaware, Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.

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