On January 20, a new federal administration intent on dismantling critical environmental protections will assume power. While the Trump Administration will do its best to roll back federal environmental policy, it’s important to keep in mind that environmental protection is not solely governed by federal policy. In Wisconsin, we have strong state-level environmental laws.
Over the next four years, our state laws will be critical tools for upholding progress on clean water, public health, and climate action. Together with community members and our grassroots partners, we will ensure these tools are used to safeguard our environment, no matter what a Trump EPA does.
While the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act are federal laws, they are implemented through state laws and administered by state agencies. In many instances, Wisconsin’s laws go further than federal baseline standards, and rollbacks at the federal level do not mean that laws that protect healthy water, land, and air quality will necessarily erode in Wisconsin.
At MEA, we will focus on advocacy and litigation to move Wisconsin forward regardless of federal deregulation. For example, we will continue to push for the swift incorporation of PFAS and lead drinking water standards into state law. Our state Safe Drinking Water Act requires DNR to take this action, and it should do so without delay.
Another example involves using the state’s Clean Air Act to limit greenhouse gas emissions, which could blunt the impact of rollbacks to the Biden administration’s climate measures. We will also continue working to stop the buildout of new fossil fuel infrastructure, including the Line 5 reroute in Northern Wisconsin, I-94 expansion in Milwaukee, and gas-fired power plant construction in Beloit.
The path ahead won’t be easy. To be sure, this is not the political and legal landscape we would hope for. But in these challenging times, we know the work we do right here, in our home state, is more vital than ever.
