Pennsylvania Ag Connection - DEP: Trump Budget Threatens Safe Drinking Water, Clean Air, Jobs

Pennsylvania Ag News Headlines

DEP: Trump Budget Threatens Safe Drinking Water, Clean Air, Jobs
Pennsylvania Ag Connection - 05/26/2017

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Patrick McDonnell has warned the Pennsylvania congressional delegation that the Trump administration's proposed cuts to environmental protection and clean energy programs will threaten Pennsylvania residents and businesses.

"The proposed cuts in the Trump administration's budget, if enacted, would risk the safe drinking water of more than 10 million Pennsylvanians; and that's just one program area," said McDonnell. "The proposed budget also cuts funds for air quality monitoring, sewage treatment plant inspections, and land cleanup programs that put Pennsylvanians to work."

In his letter addressed to the Pennsylvania congressional delegation, McDonnell warns that significantly reducing federal funding risks safe water, stifles job creation, and allows harmful pollutants to poison Pennsylvania air. Cuts to key U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program areas, if enacted, would mean:

- 30% fewer inspections of Pennsylvania's 8,500 public water systems

- Cuts to radon and lead risk programs, putting children especially at risk from these toxic substances

- 30% cut to air quality funding, leading to limited air quality monitoring and longer wait times for businesses seeking air permits

- Cutting funds to remove and cleanup damage from leaking underground storage tanks by 50%, putting groundwater sources at risk from leaking chemical storage tanks

The proposed Trump administration budget also makes drastic cuts to Department of Energy programs that create jobs and provide economic benefits to Pennsylvania residents and businesses through energy efficiency programs, new technology, and increased resilience and reliability of the electrical grid.

"These programs pay dividends far beyond the investment in the form of jobs, lower utility bills for Pennsylvania families, and new growth opportunities for the economy," said McDonnell. "Enacting the drastic cuts of the Trump administration's budget only hamstrings Pennsylvania's future."

The letter to the delegation can be viewed at www.dep.pa.gov/About/Testimony_and_Letters/Pages/Testimony.aspx

Other Pennsylvania Headlines