Former EPA administrator, activists react to 'One Big Beautiful Bill'

Chicago Tribune

4 hours ago

As President Donald Trump touts a bill currently making its way through Congress as a win for the public, a former regional Environmental Protection Agency administrator is prepared to see devastating cuts to the office that could negatively impact human health.
'It's proposing severe cuts to both the scientific work that EPA's Office of Research and Development does and to the agency as a whole,' said Debra Shore, former administrator for EPA Region 5. 'It would severely reduce the agency's ability to fulfill its mission of protecting public health and the environment.'
As the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' Act has passed the U.S. House of Representatives and moved to the Senate, activists nationwide have worried about the consequences.
Shore said it's heartbreaking to see public servants at the EPA go through these cuts, especially as the administration tries to make the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' seem like a win.
'I have never worked with a group of such smart, devoted professionals who had a shared sense of mission as EPA employees,' Shore said. 'I know that's the case across the agency. … They could be working for far higher salaries in many cases, but they are dedicated to the foundational mission of the EPA, which is to protect public health and the environment.'
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the EPA posted on Facebook, saying it 'delivers for all Americans.'
'One Big Beautiful Bill is putting American workers, taxpayers and families first,' the EPA's Tuesday post said. 'Under (Trump), the U.S. can unleash American energy while ensuring we have the cleanest air, land and water on (Earth).'
The bill eliminates hundreds of billions of dollars in Green New Deal tax credits, repeals former President Joe Biden administration's electric vehicle mandates, and opens federal lands and waters to oil, gas, coal, geothermal and mineral leasing, according to the EPA's Tuesday post.
According to the Wednesday post, the bill also 'streamlines onerous permitting processes,' refills the Strategic Petroleum reserve and 'delivers certainty to energy producers, saves and creates energy jobs, lowers energy costs for families.'
A spokesperson for Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana, provided a statement about the bill Friday.
'Senator Young continues to have conversations with his colleagues and stakeholders about improving the House-passed bill and addressing our nation's debt and deficit challenges,' said Leah Selk, spokesperson for Young.
Representatives for Sen. Jim Banks, R-Indiana, did not respond to a request for comment Friday.
Within the bill, the White House would also have the ability to cut federal agencies and reduce workforce, Shore said.
'This is just an utter abrogation of Congress' authority and power,' Shore said. 'It requires an annual report of planned reorganizational moves, and it also streamlines the ability of any future president to rebuild federal agencies because of some of the language in it.'
Susan Thomas, director of policy and press for Just Transition Northwest Indiana, said it's concerning that EPA is treating the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' like a win, especially on social media platforms that are easily accessible.
'No one can take any information for granted anymore,' Thomas said. 'You must do your own research with trusted sources because the amount of greenwashing that's coming down is so dangerous. … This is becoming increasingly difficult, but it's more important than ever.'
Thomas and Gary Advocates for Responsible Development board member Carolyn McCrady are both worried about the effects that environmental justice communities will face if the bill passes the Senate.
McCrady expects public health to worsen as a result of EPA rollbacks.
An October report from Industrious Labs found that most residents in Gary are in the top 10% of U.S. residents most at-risk for developing asthma and at-risk of low life expectancy. In 2020, Indiana had a lung cancer rate of 72.5 per 100,000 people, with Lake County as one of the state's counties with the highest cancer mortality rates, according to the American Lung Association.
A 2016 JAMA Network report also found Gary as one of the top five U.S. cities with the lowest life expectancy at one point.
'I think people are going to be sicker faster,' McCrady said. 'I don't think people will be able to be served in the medical community in the same way, because in Indiana, millions of people are going to lose their health insurance because of the Medicaid cuts.'
Although McCrady believes the EPA cuts are devastating, she isn't surprised to see them included in 'One Big Beautiful Bill.'
Cuts will continue to put communities like Gary at a greater disadvantage, McCrady said.
Thomas also believes that Northwest Indiana's environmental justice communities will struggle as a result of the 'One Big Beautiful Bill.'
'They've already stripped away all of the environmental justice provisions that had taken years to recognize and acknowledge and to start to put in place,' Thomas said. 'This is just a very sad state that we're in.'