Recent Federal Actions Are Impacting Clean Water, Public Health Efforts in Erie

Contributed

Lake Erie has had its time as the punchline of many a joke, back before the Clean Water Act and federal EPA regulations helped transform it from a polluted mess back into the beautiful natural resource it is meant to be. Current cuts to environmental programs at the federal level should be particularly concerning to Great Lakes residents. Environmentalist Jenny Tompkins spells out her concerns and what we can do to ensure the future health of our local waterways.

I want to live in a country where people have access to safe, affordable drinking water and wastewater services. I believe we should prioritize public health by investing in environmental agencies that implement our laws and hold polluters accountable. I acknowledge that people of color and people living in poverty face higher levels of pollution, and I support targeted, increased investment in these communities because zip code should not dictate life expectancy.

Good news: most voters agree with me. Polling by the Environmental Protection Network, a bipartisan group of former US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials, showed at least 80 percent of voters support a strong EPA without funding and regulatory cuts, and support increased investments in the most polluted communities.

Bad news: recent federal environmental actions are way off base from the beliefs most of us share.

Erieites need not look far to see the importance of federal policy and investment for water quality. Once SNL's punchline and Dr. Seuss' cautionary tale, Lake Erie is no longer "dead." Consistent, bipartisan federal leadership — in collaboration with Canada, eight U.S. states, and many local governments — made Lake Erie's and the Great Lakes' redemption stories possible. The Clean Water Act, for example, set necessary limits on industrial pollution discharges and created processes to study lake and stream water quality, allowing for targeted restoration.

However, we still have a lot of work to do and letting up now will only cost more in the long run. Our region still faces harmful algal blooms, aging water infrastructure, invasive species, toxic plastic and PFAS pollution, fish consumption advisories, and increasingly severe weather and flooding. Communities of color and those in poverty – like Erie – are disproportionately impacted by these challenges.

We should absolutely be concerned about how recent decisions of the White House and newly appointed federal agency administrators, in conjunction with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), could negatively impact the Great Lakes and threaten 50+ years of intentional clean-up and public health investments. I've listed below just some current and possible impacts related to attempts to fire federal employees and cut or freeze funding.

DOGE's Current and Potentially Harmful Impacts on Erie and the Great Lakes Region

The White House wants to cut 65 percent of the EPA's budget. These EPA cuts are not about reducing spending; the EPA's budget accounts for less than half a penny of every federal dollar spent. This would likely mean fewer staff to investigate and clean up toxic sites like the former Erie Coke property, enforce permits, respond to pollution reports, and assess chemicals for drinking water regulation.

During his first term, President Trump tried to eliminate or reduce federal funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) multiple times, but was thwarted by bipartisan Congressional support. Since 2010, the GLRI has provided over $8.5 billion in funding across 8,000 projects for habitat restoration, toxic cleanup, and invasive species management. Multiple agencies coordinate to administer the GLRI, including EPA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Massive staff cuts may limit administration of the program in a timely and efficient manner. In Michigan, the state already stepped up to cover staff costs needed to protect critically endangered piping plovers after federal cuts slowed the release of GLRI funds. Here in Erie County, as an example, we are using GLRI funding to combat the spread of the invasive spotted lanternfly.

DOGE fired NOAA Great Lakes staff who monitor ice cover and harmful algal blooms, operate water-level gauges, and deploy weather buoys. These services safeguard shipping routes, drinking water, and public safety.

DOGE cuts initially led the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to fire 12 probationary and 25 seasonal positions of its lamprey control unit, which works to reduce these invasive "vampires of the Great Lakes." Sea lampreys threaten the $7 billion Great Lakes Fishery. Last year, USFWS applied lampricides in Conneaut Creek in Erie County to protect trout, walleye, and other species. Following legal action and advocacy, USFWS has permission to hire back those staff, but it is unclear how many will choose to return and how this season's work may be further impacted.

NOAA, ordered to make additional staff cuts, is expected to see a 25 percent reduction in capacity. Its Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is currently considering designating a Pennsylvania Lake Erie National Marine Sanctuary. If Erie loses the opportunity for designation, we miss out on substantial federal funding, research, and technical support.

Funding Freeze for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) (January 20th Executive Order)

The BIL (2021) and IRA (2022) remain the largest targeted investments in U.S. history for climate action, clean water, and support for polluted communities.

Erie Water Works received $42 million, the vast majority as grants, to speed up its proactive, multi-decade initiative to remove toxic lead from its drinking water system. While there are no reported impacts to Erie's funding, DOGE review processes are currently holding up $50 million in this lead funding from Massachusetts, worrying other awardees and putting health and safety at risk.

Since 2023, over 500 municipalities and hundreds of organizations in all 50 states were awarded $1.5 billion of USDA urban and community forestry funds to grow and maintain urban trees and tree canopy in communities. Investments in urban trees result in cooler neighborhoods, improved health outcomes, filtration of polluted stormwater runoff, increased property values, and more local jobs. Here in Erie, $500,000 of USDA Urban and Community Forestry Funds awarded to the nonprofit Groundwork Erie, and their paid job training opportunities for 28 young adults, are in jeopardy. Groundwork Erie recently launched its Green Future Fund, to boost local support for its efforts in the face of federal funding uncertainty.

The Erie County Redevelopment Authority also faces frozen funds, including EPA grants for remediation at the former Erie Malleable Iron and Erie Coke sites. There are few legal mechanisms to prevent companies from abandoning toxic properties and this federal funding targets cleanup in areas like Erie to incentivize private reinvestment.

The City of Erie has $500,000 in Department of Energy funding in limbo. These funds were awarded to conduct energy audits of Erie homes to reduce energy usage and save households money in areas most impacted by pollution and extreme weather.

Erie and the Great Lakes have so much to lose if we weaken our capacity to protect our waterways and drinking waters sources. Call on your members of Congress and other elected officials to defend against these cuts and take responsibility to fund environmental protection.

Jenny Tompkins is a clean water advocate dedicated to protecting Lake Erie and the Great Lakes. She was a member of the Erie Reader's 2024 40 Under 40 class. A Meadville resident, she shares equal space in her heart for French Creek and its watershed.