EPA programs play a crucial role

To the editor:

Here is something Alaska is not known for: polluted air. Yet nationally, the Fairbanks metro area is the 5th most ozone-polluted city in the United States. Anchorage is 14th.

As Alaskans, we love our home state for the unparalleled, natural wonders it has to offer. The crisp, clear air and water are so much of what make Alaska.

Now, that air and water—and even our land—are at risk, and cities like Fairbanks and Anchorage could be due for even greater pollution levels at a time when we should be doing all that we can to improve the air so that our communities can breathe without worry.

In Washington, DC, the Trump administration and its allies in Congress have placed a target on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—the agency that works to keep Alaska’s air, water, and soil clean and its families and communities healthy. By stripping the Agency of 30 percent of their funding—much of which goes directly to states like Alaska—Trump’s allies will unleash even more pollution and endanger citizens.

Here is something you’ve likely heard before: Senator Murkowski can stop them.

In the comings weeks, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee will begin work on the Senate’s EPA budget proposal. As a member of that Committee, Senator Murkowski holds a critical vote in determining the EPA’s funding and whether it will be able to continue to support programs that our state and our communities have come to rely on.

As an Alaska Native person, I’ve seen firsthand the difference that these programs can make. From 2012-2016, the EPA awarded $345 million in funding to programs dedicated to supporting native tribes and the environments they call home. $123.5 million of that went to Alaskan tribes. These programs help tribes establish environmental programs and develop and implement plans for handling hazardous waste. The programs play a crucial role in the health of our people and our lands and waters. But Trump has singled these programs out for cuts.

In total, Alaska as a whole has received more than $345 million in grants from the EPA over the last five years to protect the state’s environment and economy. Millions more have gone to support state and local environmental and public health efforts.

For many Alaskans nature is our livelihood. So much of our state relies on tourism to drive our economy, with our scenic landscapes attracting millions of visitors each year.

— Jackie Qatalina Schaeffer

Anchorage