Advocates rally for federal benefits

CITY HALL – Consumer, environmental and children’s advocates railed yesterday against federal spending cuts that they say benefit special interests at the expense of programs assisting public interests.

PennEnvironment’s Adam Garber said the proposed $3 billion cut to the EPA’s budget removes safeguards for clean air and water at the benefit of oil and coal industries. He was concerned that drilling waste from fracking could threaten Pennsylvania’s water supply.

“If we don’t have environmental police on the ground, it doesn’t matter what environmental laws we have on the books,” he said. “This is a real attack on every environmental program out there.”