By Will Stelle, Dennis McLerran and Jay Manning / For The Herald
We are experiencing difficult times. It seems impossible to find consensus among Americans on about anything. However, support for clean air, clean water, safe and healthy outdoor spaces and ecosystems has never wavered.
That respect is a bedrock value in this country. Unfortunately, our environmental protection system is under unprecedented attack.
The Trump administration has initiated a series of threats to programs designed to protect human health and the environment.
Here are just a few of the proposals:
• Reducing EPA’s funding by an astonishing 65 percent;
• Firing thousands of federal agency employees at the Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Park and Forest Services; and
• Withdrawal of the “endangerment finding” that provides the basis for EPA to address climate change; and completely eliminating EPA’s Office of Research and Development, which provides the science underpinning EPA’s work.
We are fortunate to live in Washington state where we have incredible natural resources and a legacy of strong state laws. However, we have never seen such severe threats to our environment. Washington relies on partnerships with EPA, NOAA and other federal natural resource agencies. These partnerships are invaluable for cleaning up toxic sites, implementing the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and funding salmon and orca protections.
Historically, 30 percent to 40 percent of EPA’s budget is passed through to states, tribes and local governments for clean water infrastructure and local priorities such as salmon recovery, air quality monitoring and toxic cleanups. Without this funding important wastewater treatment upgrades and other projects will be delayed or require major new state or local funding and rate increases.
In a year when Washington citizens recognized the importance of climate action at the ballot box, overwhelmingly rejecting I-2117, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin is proposing a full-blown retreat on climate. He proposes, among many other things, to withdraw power plant emissions standards, methane reduction rules and clean car standards and to severely cut staff that responds to environmental emergencies.
Almost a third of Washington state is federal forest, range or tribal land. Trump proposes opening federal lands to virtually unlimited resource extraction. Between staff cuts and increased resource extraction, National Park, Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands will no longer provide the opportunities they do now for camping, hiking, fishing and hunting. The state does not have jurisdiction to protect these lands.
What Trump has proposed is counter to current federal legislation and rules. What Congress and federal agencies have done over the last 60 years to protect our environment is based on sound science and years of debate and thoughtful legislative consideration. Americans of all stripes value clean air, clean water and a healthy environment. Republicans and Democrats depend equally on the EPA to safeguard their families from pollution.
State Attorney General Nick Brown and Gov. Bob Ferguson are challenging the Trump administration where there are clear violations of law, and we are deeply grateful for their efforts. Eliminating funding and obliterating staffing at federal agencies is clearly counter to the will of Congress and difficult to challenge in court. It is particularly troubling that laws enacted by Congress are being ignored and funds that have been congressionally appropriated and committed to state, tribal and local environmental priorities are being withheld after local reliance and contractual commitments have been made.
If we don’t collectively push back this will continue unchecked.
Congress has made environmental protection a bipartisan priority for many years and the Trump administration is clearly violating the traditional constitutional separation of powers.
What can you do to help?
Speak up and speak loudly. Let your congressional members know the Trump administration’s explicit disavowal of health and environmental protections established by Congress is unacceptable. Let federal employees know you appreciate their work to protect our natural resources and public health.
The cuts by President Trump and Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency to EPA and other federal agencies are at odds with congressional appropriations and intent and are simply deplorable.
Will Stelle served as regional administrator of NOAA Fisheries for the Pacific Northwest and the West Coast regions from 1994 to 2001 and 2006-2017, respectively.
Dennis McLerran served as regional administrator for EPA Region 10 covering Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska from 2010 to 2017 and as executive director of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency between 1994 and 2010.
Jay Manning served as the director of the Washington Department of Ecology from 2005 to 2009 and as chief of staff to Gov. Christine Gregoire from 2009 to 2011.
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