Trump budget delivers more pollution not more power to states including Maryland; eliminates Chesapeake Bay program

Media Contacts
Aminah Zaghab

Environment Maryland

Based on a briefing by the Trump Administration, President Trump’s proposed Fiscal Year 2018 budget would cut important environmental and health programs. Below is a statement from Aminah Zaghab, Environment Maryland Clean Air Advocate, on the President’s FY’18 budget proposal.

“Although President Trump and his cabinet have promised numerous times to return power to the states and to the people, if implemented, Trump’s FY’18 budget would cause more pollution and take away power from the people here in Maryland and across the nation.

“Marylanders need and deserve clean air, clean water, and protections for the places we love. Yet President Trump’s budget would mean more days when it’s unsafe to breathe the air; more dead zones in the Chesapeake Bay, sewage and other pollution in our rivers and streams, fewer protections for the Chesapeake Bay and other coastal areas,and more uncertainty for our climate.

“Maryland is hit particularly hard when it comes to the Chesapeake Bay (see attached).  The proposed FY’18 budget completely eliminates funding for the Chesapeake Bay program, which was funded at $72,867,000. The proposed budget eliminates funding to Maryland’s Coastal Bays Program, which works to protect the waterways and Maryland’s watersheds.

“Congress, led by the Maryland delegation should reject this budget.  Marylanders and all Americans need clean air, clean water, and protected open spaces. We do not want more smog, more sewage in our water or an unhealthy Chesapeake Bay.”