Proposed Federal Cuts Could Hurt Sewer Overflow Reduction Efforts

Environmental groups say a proposed federal budget cut could weaken efforts to reduce sewer overflows into the Great Lakes.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition says the Obama Administration wants to trim 25 percent of the money available in a clean-water loan program for states like Wisconsin. Coalition spokesperson Joel Brammeier says many communities count on the money to ease costs on local ratepayers.

“Without that low-cost source of financing sustained year after year, we will delay projects that seek to replace and restore sewage infrastructure so our Great Lakes communities don’t face pathogens and diseases and dirty water being dumped onto their Great Lakes beaches.”

The Healing Our Water-Great Lakes Coalition is praising the White House for proposing to maintain funding for a broader program called the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

The Environmental Protection Agency has said it faced difficult choices in preparing its federal budget recommendation for the President.