Great Lakes states need effective regional EPA leader

Much is at stake for the new regional EPA Administrator, Cathy Stepp, who is overseeing environmental protections for six states ( Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio) and the most significant freshwater resource in the world— the Great Lakes.

For example: drinking water for 40 million people in the Great Lakes region, the headwaters of the Mississippi River and much of the Ohio River basin.

Unfortunately, the appointment of Stepp casts further doubt about the Trump administration’s commitment to protecting our water, health and way of life.

We’ve made great progress on protecting and restoring the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has invested over $ 2.4 billion in over 3,000 projects that clean up toxic pollution, restore fish and wildlife habitat, fight invasive species, and reduce farm and urban polluted runoff in the basin.

But we’re also facing serious challenges. The states are falling well short of that 40 percent reduction goal with no enforcement mechanism in sight. Outdated water infrastructure, poor governance and lax environmental enforcement contributed to a drinking water public health crisis in Flint, Michigan.

The question is, can and will Stepp lead the EPA in the region to protect the Great Lakes and other waterways and natural resources? Her track record does not give us confidence. For seven years as the politically appointed head of the Wisconsin DNR, she was known for overseeing a precipitous drop in environmental enforcement measures, delegitimizing of scientific management of resources and scrubbing climate change from the department website. Her background — lacking formal scientific or environmental training — does not give us confidence that she can lead the EPA in a science- based manner.

The EPA Region 5 is a critical partner in protecting our waters and facilitating their recovery from the mistakes of the past. Stepp’s appointment has an opportunity now to prove us wrong. We sincerely hope that she does.

SEND LETTERS TO: letters@ suntimes. com. Please include your neighborhood or hometown and a phone number for verification purposes.