When I was a child I lived next to the Androscoggin River. Sludge floats of toxic industrial waste flowed past my home and out to sea. Fish died by the millions.

In 1970 President Richard Nixon established the Environmental Protection Agency to protect our health through the health of the environment. Between 1971 and 1978, the EPA documented the environmental pollution caused by the paper industry’s chemical discharge and provided assistance to develop pollution control plans. It provided financial assistance to states to monitor water quality.

Today Maine residents can boat and fish the Androscoggin River.

The EPA first and foremost protects our health. From 1976 to 1980 it aided in reducing the average blood lead level by decreasing lead content in gasoline. It has reduced the use of lead pipes which cause health issues like developmental delays and learning disabilities. It has advanced air pollution science and engineering. It sets and enforces emission standards in power plants and other industrial sources by requiring them to install pollution control technologies. It measures and monitors air quality and alerts us when it is safest to stay indoors during wildfires.

Today, we take these take these health and safety measures for granted.

Protecting human health shouldn’t be a political belief. Protecting our environment so we can all safely enjoy swimming, boating, fishing and hunting should be a priority for every Mainer. The EPA can’t accomplish these critical goals, to protect our health and safety, with a 65% budget cut.

Bonnie Brown, Industry