Originally published here

Today the Trump administration released the infrastructure plan it promised to deliver in its first 100 days in office. The plan is thin on reality but heavy on rhetoric. It relies on states and the private sector for the bulk of investment and contains major rollbacks to landmark laws like the Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, and others.

Clean Water Action President and CEO Bob Wendelgass released this response:

“This isn’t a plan, it’s a scam to sell off our roads, bridges, and other vital infrastructure to wealthy corporations while gutting the bedrock laws that have protected our water, air, and health for decades.

The proposal calls for major changes to Clean Water Act and National Environmental Policy Act, among others. It’s a dream come true for special interests that have tried to undermine these laws since they were passed. The proposal punches loopholes into these landmark laws that would allow developers and polluters skirt permitting requirements that protect our water and health, ignores the reality of climate change, chips away at EPA tools to control pollution, and makes it harder for states to enforce their own environmental protections. It’s yet another massive give-away to big polluters at the expense of our water and people’s health.

This is not a serious proposal from the Administration. The United States desperately needs to improve our infrastructure. Our water and wastewater infrastructure is dangerously old. We need a huge infusion of funding and a commitment to ensure that communities can continue to deliver safe and affordable drinking water to consumers. We need a proposal that puts our water and health first, not polluter profits. Anything less is a disservice to all Americans who have dealt with failed and failing infrastructure for far too long.”

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