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U.S. EPA Cuts Could Affect Ohio's Land, Air And Water

Andy Chow
/
Ohio Statehouse News Bureau

Environmental advocates say the state’s land, air and water are at risk if  proposed cuts to the U.S. EPA are implemented. Ohio Public Radio's Andy Chow reports.  

A plan working its way through Congress could cut the U.S. EPA by 8%.

 

Environmental groups, including the Sierra Club and Moms Clean Air Force, say this poses a threat to Ohio’s most valuable resources such as Lake Erie.

 

Michael Mikulka, an engineer for the EPA, says the reduced budget would cut the staff members who do field work to investigate potential problems, or in his words “less cops on the beat.”

 

“That gives those that would take the opportunity to not meet the standards a better chance at not getting caught.”

 

But Mikulka’s boss, U.S. EPA Director Scott Pruitt argues that his agency can trim the budget and still meet the core mission of improving land, air and water quality.

 

 

Tracy Sabetta with Moms Clean Air Force notes that the proposed budget would make a 44% cut in state grant funding, adding that Ohio has recently used $13 million in that kind of funding to improve the Lake Erie watershed.

The Statehouse News Bureau was founded in 1980 to provide educational, comprehensive coverage of legislation, elections, issues and other activities surrounding the Statehouse to Ohio's public radio and television stations. To this day, the Bureau remains the only broadcast outlet dedicated to in-depth coverage of state government news and topics of statewide interest. The Bureau is funded througheTech Ohio, and is managed by ideastream. The reporters at the Bureau follow the concerns of the citizens and voters of Ohio, as well as the actions of the Governor, the Ohio General Assembly, the Ohio Supreme Court, and other elected officials. We strive to cover statehouse news, government issues, Ohio politics, and concerns of business, culture and the arts with balance and fairness, and work to present diverse voices and points of view from the Statehouse and throughout Ohio. The three award-winning journalists at the bureau have more than 60 combined years of radio and television experience. They can be heard on National Public Radio and are regular contributors to Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Marketplace. Every weekday, the Statehouse News Bureau produces in-depth news reports forOhio's public radio stations. Those stories are also available on this website, either on the front page or in our archives. Weekly, the Statehouse News Bureau produces a television show from our studios in the Statehouse. The State of Ohio is an unique blend of news, interviews, talk and analysis, and is broadcast on Ohio's public television stations. The Statehouse News Bureau also produces special programming throughout the year, including the Governor's annual State of the State address to the Ohio General Assembly and a five-part year-end review.
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