A significant loss in staff and subsequent budget cuts would cripple the EPA’s ability to enforce the Clean Water Act and other critical environmental regulations.
The news coming out of the Trump administration has been hitting us at a fast and furious pace. Every morning there are new reports of sudden and reckless actions taken by the President and the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to dismantle the federal agencies that Americans have long depended on (whether we know it or not) to protect our health, environment, and keep our communities clean and safe.
Recent layoffs, mass firings, funding freezes, and delays in grant approvals have all disrupted, and in some cases, suspended, the way our federal government functions. While this news is distressing, it has also revealed that most Americans may not be very familiar with the function and purpose of many of these federal agencies to begin with.
As a grassroots organization fighting for the protection and enjoyment of our ocean, waves, and beaches, the Surfrider Foundation relies on programs and regulations overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to protect clean water and hold polluters accountable.
The mission of the EPA, simply stated, is to protect human health and our environment. That means clean air, clean water, and clean land for everyone. The EPA implements and enforces environmental laws passed by Congress, provides assistance to state and local governments to protect and restore their natural resources, and stimulates innovation and scientific advancements by supporting academic research. The agency’s programs and regulations help ensure that the water that flows down to our beaches is clean and free from pollution, and that beachgoers have the information they need to avoid getting sick at the coast.
Surfrider’s most significant collaboration with the EPA is through the implementation of the Clean Water Act. We often play a watchdog role to ensure that federal and state agencies are enforcing the pollution controls mandated by this bedrock environmental legislation to hold polluters accountable. Surfrider also supports the important leadership role that EPA has taken in recent years to advance environmental justice initiatives and to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Surfrider has also been a staunch supporter of the BEACH Act since it was originally passed back in 2000. The BEACH Act set national standards for protecting public health at the beach and established a federal grant program to help coastal states pay for their beach water quality monitoring programs. Over the last decade, Surfrider’s national network of staff and chapter volunteers have worked hard to build bi-partisan support in Congress to ensure sufficient funding for the BEACH Act grants program. Without this continued federal support, beach water testing programs in many states would completely shut down — making us all more vulnerable to getting sick from simply enjoying a day at the beach.
A significant loss in staff and subsequent budget cuts would cripple the EPA’s ability to enforce the Clean Water Act and other critical environmental regulations. Recent statements made by President Trump indicated an imminent EPA personnel cut of a whopping 65%, which the agency then corrected to plans for a 65% cut to the budget. Either way, a loss of staff and/or funding of that magnitude means less enforcement and more pollution and harm to natural resources and ecosystems.
Compounding this, the new EPA Administrator, Lee Zeldin, has proposed to remake the EPA from an agency focused on protecting clean air, water, and land to an agency catering to industrial development at the expense of public health and the environment. Zeldin’s proposed focus for the agency will be "energizing the greatness of the American economy" by "restoring American energy dominance," making the United States the "artificial intelligence capital of the world," and "bringing back American auto jobs." This means bypassing key environmental reviews for energy projects, turning a blind eye to water, air, and noise impacts from AI data centers, and rolling back fuel economy standards that reduce air pollution. These moves would harm communities across the country.
These priorities violate EPA’s core mission to protect public health and the environment.
Now more than ever, it is time for all of us to make sure our representatives in Washington, D.C., know what is important to us. Regardless of political party, no one voted for polluted air and water, and we all depend on the EPA’s continued ability to enforce environmental safeguards to ensure that our environment, economy, and, most importantly, our families’ health are protected.
What can you do right now?
- Make Your Voice Heard. Contact your Congressional representatives in D.C. Let them know that clean water, public health, and action on climate change are important to you. Remind them that it's their responsibility to ensure that the EPA is empowered, through adequate funding, staffing, and authority, to continue to meet its mission. Sign our Action Alert now to demand that Congress protects the EPA!
- Get Involved. Attend your local Surfrider chapter meeting. You’ll learn how you can work side by side with Surfrider volunteers in coastal communities across the country to ensure clean water and safe, accessible beaches. We are fighting campaigns at the local, state, and federal levels to protect our coasts and to ensure safe and healthy beaches for everyone.
- Donate. The urgency of Surfrider’s work on the frontlines has never been more important. Opening up your wallet and becoming a member, renewing, or giving an additional donation will help fuel our network of volunteer coastal defenders with the resources we need to win at this critical time. Please join us at: surfrider.org/support-surfrider.