September 25, 2025 (Augusta, ME) – A new report issued today details how the U.S. House Appropriations Committee’s FY26 budget proposal would put Maine’s clean air and water at risk, limit clean-up of old industrial sites, and halt important scientific research that is essential for safeguarding public health.
The dramatic cuts being proposed to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would also severely scale back funding for the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which relies heavily on federal funding for nearly every aspect of its work, including compliance with the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and hazardous waste laws. In 2024, DEP received $10.69 million in dedicated grants from EPA, amounting to more than 21.5% of its budget and 102 personnel.
The report, entitled “Damaging Maine: The Impacts of Proposed Cuts in the EPA Budget” was released by the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), Maine’s leading nonprofit, nonpartisan environmental advocacy organization.
>> Click here to view a PDF of the report <<
“These proposed cuts represent the most extreme rollback of environmental funding in decades. If enacted, the House’s FY26 budget risks undoing decades of progress and could leave a legacy of environmental harm that would negatively impact Maine’s environment and communities for generations to come,” said Anya Fetcher, NRCM’s Federal Policy Advocate. “The draconian budget proposals have made it abundantly clear that the Trump Administration and its allies in Congress care more about protecting polluters than protecting public health.”
On July 14, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee released its proposed FY26 budget, targeting the EPA for some of the deepest cuts of any domestic agency, cutting its budget by $2.1 billion (23%) from the current levels, and its workforce by 1,274 (23%). In contrast, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, chaired by Senator Susan Collins, released a draft budget that largely retains the EPA’s role of protecting health and the environment.
“Maine’s lakes – which provide more than $14.3 billion in annual economic value to the state – are at a tipping point,” said Susan Gallo, Executive Director of Maine Lakes. “Invasive species, warming waters, erosion, and algal blooms are all increasingly threatening the quality of our waters and the abundance of wildlife habitat. State spending for lake protection in Maine is already stretched, making EPA funding essential to supporting the work of state agencies and lake associations to keep our waters clean, clear, and blue.”
The Damaging Maine report analyzed the House’s proposed cuts and found that they would put Maine’s clean water at risk, increase air pollution and threaten public health for vulnerable populations, limit the clean-up of contaminated brownfield and superfund sites, stop the EPA’s efforts to protect communities from climate change, and halt important scientific research.
“As a pediatrician, I am most concerned about the long-term consequences of air pollutants on children, who are uniquely vulnerable to their effects,” said Dr. Sydney Sewall, a Board-Certified Pediatrician and President of the Maine Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility. “It takes money to collect and analyze environmental data so that good science can help the agency meet the challenge of balancing public health with industry needs. The proposed cuts, as described in the report being released today, will destroy the EPA’s ability to do its job.”
Among the cuts being proposed:
- 59% cuts to the EPA’s Superfund program that helps clean up hazardous industrial sites in local communities. Of the 16 hazardous waste sites in Maine, only 6 have been cleaned up.
- 43% cuts to Clean Air programs that help reduce air pollution, including compliance monitoring and enforcement.
- 26% cuts to funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund that provides local communities with funds to upgrade wastewater treatment plants and stormwater infrastructure improvements.
- Eliminates most of the EPA’s climate programs, including research and monitoring that are widely used by local and state governments.
- Deep cuts across EPA’s scientific research on air, water, and chemical risks, including PFAS.
“The Clean Water Act is the most important piece of legislation to protect our lakes. Not only does it provide regulations and guidance, but it provides the means to undo the damage already done to our lakes,” said Lynn Geiger, the Erosion Control Policy Manager at 7 Lakes Alliance. “At 7 Lakes, we use Congressionally directed funding to help real Mainers address erosion or upgrade dying infrastructure to handle the changing climate. This funding has an enormous impact on our community, and we need to protect it.”
“We are deeply concerned about the proposed cut to the EPA in the House budget, in particular those that undermine access to safe drinking water and reduce scientific research on air, water, and chemical risks that inform policy decisions at the state and federal levels,” said Sergio Cahueque, an Organizer with Defend Our Health. “These resources are critical to Maine’s ability to address contaminants like arsenic, lead, PFAS, and radon, and ensuring that people aren’t exposed to lead in their houses or toxic contaminants in everyday products.”
If the House’s proposed cuts are adopted, Maine DEP would be forced to scale back work across many key program areas. But the effects will be felt far beyond government agencies. Maine’s lakes and other surface waters will be more polluted; communities with brownfield and Superfund sites may never see them cleaned up; and communities could see higher rates of illness linked to poor air and water quality. Businesses that rely on a clean environment and the latest research – including fisheries, tourism, forestry, and outdoor recreation – would face growing uncertainty and economic risk.
“As the budget debate progresses, we encourage Senator Collins to continue protecting the essential role that the EPA plays in protecting the health and safety of Maine’s people, communities, and environment,” said Fetcher.
