- Updated on April 7, 2017 - 

This month we are introducing a new section to our newsletter - Safer Chemicals Policy Watch. Given the rapid pace at which policy and federal initiatives are impacting environmental and public health under the Trump Administration, we want to support our readers by regularly highlighting policies impacting our work. Our hope is that this section will help you both stay abreast of current events and action opportunities.

• Health Care Climate Council: Executive Order targeting the Clean Power Plan a Major Setback - The Health Care Climate Council considers today's executive order by the White House, targeting the Clean Power Plan, a major setback for protecting the health of our nation.
• Health Care Without Harm Statement: Trump Administration's Proposed Budget Leaves Us Unable to Protect Our Nation's Health - President Trump has proposed slashing the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget by over 30% and eliminating one in five of its employees, which would essentially leave the agency broken and unable to protect our nation's health.
• GOP Health Care Bill Would Cut CDC Fund to Fight Killer Diseases - The proposed Health Care Act would cut a billion dollars in funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund which funds efforts to deliver vaccines, watch for infectious diseases, keep an eye out for lead in water, promote breastfeeding in hospitals, prevent suicide, watch out for hospital-associated infections, and protect against antibiotic resistant bacteria, among many other efforts.
• White House Eyes Plan to Cut EPA Staff By One-fifth, Eliminating Key Programs - Many programs would be cut dramatically (see above) and 38 separate programs would be eliminated entirely. Grants to clean up brownfields, or abandoned industrial sites, would be gone. Also zeroed out: the radon program, climate change initiatives and funding for Alaskan native villages. Cuts could impact protections for environmental justice communities in devastating ways.
• Here are 42 of President Donald Trump's Planned EPA Budget Cuts - Cuts to the EPA would be detrimental to some programs, while simply ending others. Some examples include cutting endocrine disruption research by 94%; cutting environmental education by 94%; reducing Environmental Justice programming by 78%; and eliminating beach water quality testing entirely.
• Trump Establishes Task Forces To Eliminate ‘Job Killing Regulations’ - While the mechanics of this order are still evolving, leading critics have raised concerns. The Legislative director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, Scott Slesinger, was quoted as saying, “Don’t be fooled. No matter how President Trump tries to dress it up, this order is a directive to kill the safeguards Americans depend on for clean air, drinkable water and safe food.”