At 6 Months, Trump Lists Regulatory Rollbacks Harmful to Public Health

WASHINGTON, July 20 -- The Environmental Working Group issued the following news release:

In his first six months, President Trump's legislative agenda has stalled in Congress. But through regulatory rollbacks, he is waging a slash-and-burn assault on public health and the environment.

Today the White House released a list of programs and rules that have been eliminated or weakened since Trump took office. The White House budget office said the cuts "protect individual liberty," but EWG's Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Scott Faber said they are endangering public health and the environment.

"If the pace of President Trump's first six months continues in removing common-sense health protections and allowing increased toxic pollution in our water, air and consumer products, the stark truth is that more Americans will die," said Faber. "Trump's battering of these regulatory safeguards is a cold-hearted attempt to side-swipe public health and the Environmental Protection Agency into a ditch in order to distract his shrinking base of supporters from his unraveling presidency."

"Tragically, many Trump fans who cheer his demolition of protections meant to reduce diseases triggered by pollution are the same people who will be hit the hardest by his anti-regulatory hammer," Faber added.

Below are some of the regulatory actions during Trump's first six months that put public health and the environment at significant risk. The administration has:

* Withdrawn a rule that protects the drinking water of 117 million Americans;

* Slashed funding for the EPA to its lowest level in 40 years;

* Cancelled a scheduled ban of a pesticide linked to brain damage in kids;

* Cut funding for programs designed to protect kids from lead poisoning;

* Weakened new chemical safety rules that protect kids from toxic chemicals;

* Reduced funding for programs designed to protect kids near Superfund toxic waste sites;

* Scuttled the EPA's plan to dramatically reduce childhood asthma; and

* Delayed clean air rules designed to reduce mercury emissions, which can cause brain damage in young children.

"Once these important protections are taken away it will be hard to win them back," said Faber. "To limit the damage, all Americans who care about public health and the environment should make their voices heard now - and loudly."