Trump Budget Undermines Efforts to Protect Drinking Water, Great Lakes

Trump Budget Undermines Efforts to Protect Drinking Water, Great LakesStrong support for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is undermined by drastic cuts to other core clean water programs.ANN ARBOR, MICH. (Feb. 10, 2020) – The Trump Administration’s proposed 2020 budget, released today, supports the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, but undermines these proposed investments by substantially cutting core clean water and drinking water programs elsewhere in the budget. The White House budget comes on the heels of the Trump Administration’s historic roll-back of clean water protections.Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition, said:“This budget is one step forward, three steps backward. The bottom line is that the Trump Administration’s proposed budget undermines efforts to protect our drinking water and our Great Lakes. One budget line item cannot erase an overall budget that contains drastic cuts to essential clean water programs. With many of our towns and cities still struggling with unsafe drinking water, now is not the time to cut funding or clean water protections. We need a White House that will use all of the tools at its disposal to fight for clean drinking water for all of the people who call this country home.”The Trump Administration’s proposed budget includes:

• $320 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to clean up toxic pollution, reduce runoff pollution, and restore fish and wildlife habitat – level with current fiscal year 2020 funding of $320 million
• $1.12 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to help communities pay for sewer upgrades and repairs – almost $500 million less than fiscal year 2020 funding of $1.64 billion
• $863 million for the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund to help communities pay for drinking water infrastructure – almost $266 million less than fiscal year 2020 funding of $1.13 billion
• 27 percent cut to U.S. EPA budget