by A.J. Higgins
Maine Public news story
Sweeping budget cuts proposed by President Trump would slash Environmental Protection Agency programs that reduce pollution in Maine, save lives and strengthen communities, according to the Natural Resources Council of Maine.
Lisa Pohlmann, executive director of the group, told reporters at a Brewer press conference today that Maine’s congressional delegation must defeat the proposed spending cuts.
“The proposed cuts would be especially bad for Maine, where our environment, economy, and way of life are tightly intertwined,” said Pohlmann. “The impacts would hit all parts of Maine: polluting our lakes and rivers, contaminating the air we breathe and the water we drink, and preventing clean-ups at former industrial sites.”
Opponents say the Trump budget eliminates more than 50 environmental protection programs and cuts EPA funding by $2.6 billion.
An NRCM spokesman said a letter signed by 60 organizations in Maine was sent to Maine’s congressional delegation urging them to maintain the EPA’s budget “at no less than current funding levels.”
