Hi John,

As you read this thousands of federal employees, including EPA staff, are being fired across the country. Up to 200,000 employees could be impacted in what some are calling the Trump administration’s Valentine’s Day Massacre.

The impacts of firings, Executive Orders, funding freezes, departmental shutdowns, cabinet appointments, and other actions are already wreaking havoc on clean energy, climate action, and the air we breathe and water we drink.

There are so many challenges I can talk to you about: a selloff of forests and other public lands, “drill baby drill” plans to expand mining and oil and gas drilling, and shutting down basic clean energy programs.

But I want to focus on just one today: stopping Trump’s attacks on the EPA. Can you help us and take action today?

The Environmental Protection Agency is the firewall between safe water and getting terribly sick every time you take a drink. The EPA is responsible for stopping toxic emissions that cause asthma, lead poisoning, and lung cancer. The EPA protects wetlands that keep coastlines safe, our water clean, and fish, bird, and wildlife populations healthy.

The EPA is also the only agency tasked with monitoring methane and other emissions from oil and gas, chemical, and refinery operations. Is it any wonder that Trump wants to handcuff or even shut down the EPA?

This isn’t just a big national political fight. Real people in towns across the country rely on the EPA. These are headlines I found this morning:

• With freeze on federal funding, cutting emissions in RI just got harder. Providence Journal

• ‘It’s demoralizing’: Trump’s climate funding freeze has left tribes and community groups in limbo. Grist

• New Haven takes big hit as CT climate grants remain in limbo. The Connecticut Mirror

• More Than $1 Billion for California Climate Justice Imperiled by Trump. Capital and Main

Freezing EPA funding damages local water systems, wind and solar projects, clean air, and so much more.

If the EPA stops funding its critical work or even goes away, then state and local governments will need to step in. But funding for your city and state is already strapped and can’t afford to do this work. State and local environmental agencies are overwhelmed. There will be nobody to keep Big Oil and Gas, chemical companies, automakers and so many others from dialing back the impact this will have on our health, the environment, and wildlife.

We will all be sicker, especially children, older Americans, and people living on the frontlines near energy and industrial facilities.

Tell your representatives to fight for the EPA today. Demand a reversal to Executive Orders and shutdown on all legislation until the President reverses course and puts people’s health first.

Thank you for all you do.

Jennifer Krill
Executive Director