Representatives of several environmental groups are calling on Congressman Fred Upton to oppose the Trump administration’s environmental agenda. They held a press conference Wednesday in St. Joseph. Upper Midwest Organizer for Moms Clean Air Force Kelly Nichols told WSJM News proposed cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency would be a disaster.
“If the proposed EPA budget in Washington — one that would slash health protections for our families — if it succeeds, we will be making America dirty again, and no one voted to make America dirty again,” Nichols said.
Speakers also called on Congressman Upton to help protect funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which he has been doing. In fact, on Tuesday, funding for the initiative was passed in a House committee, which Upton applauded. Upton’s office issued the following statement following Wednesday’s press conference:
“Fred’s common-sense, bipartisan record on the environment, clean water, and water infrastructure issues is as crystal clear as Lake Michigan on a gorgeous Southwest Michigan summer day: He has consistently stood against efforts to slash funding for Great Lakes cleanup efforts, opposed ideas to shutter the Chicago-region EPA office, led the charge against invasive species such as Asian Carp, worked across the aisle delivering needed resources for Flint to recover from their drinking water catastrophe, called for continued vigilance and improved safety standards for the Line 5 pipeline, held companies accountable for spills along our Great Lakes, passed legislation banning plastic microbead pollutants from entering our waterways, fought against companies such as British Petroleum from dumping toxins in Lake Michigan, andsecured funding for our local harbors so they remain open and operational.”
“Obviously, Fred’s actions to protect and preserve our environment, critical water infrastructure, and our Great Lakes will continue.”
