Deerfield River Watershed Trout Unlimited President Michael Vito says it’s disturbing to see the changes the Trump Administration has either made or has said it’s going to make in environmental policy, but he’s not overly concerned yet about Massachusetts, because it has some of the strictest environmental laws in the country.
“It’s really going to hurt some of the other states,” Vito said. “We’re certainly not happy about that, or that he is trying to undermine laws that have gotten us to this place, where we have clean water, for instance.”
The Trump Administration announced several changes — actual and anticipated — and has rolled back policies the Obama Administration put in place that limited pollution and battled climate change. In some cases, the president has also threatened to limit or take away federal funding for the environment.
“This dismantling of environmental regulations is painful, because a lot of work by a lot of people has been done in that area,” Vito said.
He said what makes him and others feel a little better is that Massachusetts and other states with strict environmental laws will follow those.
“I think the state and its cities and towns have a pretty big say,” Vito said.
When a state has more strict laws than federal, the state laws will supersede in most cases, as will happen if a city’s or town’s laws are stricter than the state’s. States, cities and towns can’t have weaker laws than federal environmental laws, and cities and towns can’t have weaker laws than the state.
According to the Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC), Trump’s actions toward the environment are of great concern, and it is keeping its eye on what he is doing.
Communications Director Angela Chaffee said Connecticut River Conservancy recently sent out a short email to people on its list, briefly explaining its position.
“The Trump Administration is attempting to roll back or make changes to more than 90 environmental regulations,” it reads. “Many of these directly affect keeping our rivers clean.”
Chaffee said the email goes on to say the environmental regulations are science-based, and that President Donald Trump’s own science advisers are opposed to recent changes.
The three policies the conservancy has been advocating to uphold include Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, which gives states the authority to set and maintain water quality standards by putting limitations or conditions on federally licensed activity. She said proposed changes would gut states’ authority to protect local waters.
“CRC works with many federally licensed hydroelectric facilities to ensure they operate as river- and fish-friendly as possible,” Chaffee said. “Maintaining strong state oversight is key in protecting our local rivers as these dams receive new federal licenses.”
Another policy is the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires all major infrastructure projects review their environmental impact. Proposed changes would no longer require consideration of the cumulative impacts of projects or that the project be built for a changing climate.
Chaffee said Connecticut River Conservancy finds that especially problematic because it works with hydroelectric companies attempting to secure licenses that last 30 to 50 years.
“It’s critical that we plan now for the changed climate we expect decades from now,” she said.
Chaffee said the Clean Water Rule, also known as Waters of the U.S., has already seen changes that strip protections from small streams and wetlands, some of which have been in place for decades.
While the conservancy focuses on its local goals and the Connecticut River, Chaffee said it is concerned about protecting all waters. She said Connecticut River Conservancy advocates that strong, science-based regulations be upheld to keep rivers clean.
The email states the proposed changes will be challenged in courts across the country.
In May 2019, Trump announced he would roll back some safety measures regulating offshore drilling. Former President Barack Obama implemented new safety rules after the explosion at a BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11 people and spilled more than 200 million gallons of oil into the ocean.
In September, the Trump Administration repealed the Clean Water Rule, calling for more drilling in national parks and announcing plans to open up more federal land for energy development, and completed plans for opening the entire coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling for gas and oil.
As part of his energy dominance plan, Trump has signed two executive orders making way for companies to build oil and gas pipelines and limit how states can block them, and in 2018, the Department of the Interior announced plans to allow drilling in nearly all U.S. waters.
Vito, who has served on the Northampton Conservation Commission in the past, said he doesn’t understand why anyone would want to dismantle protective measures, and though he doesn’t think it will affect Massachusetts in the near future, he said he and others plan to keep an eye on Washington D.C.
Reach Anita Fritz at 413-772-0261, ext. 269 or afritz@recorder.com.