Abandoned Science, Broken Promises

The report argues that the Trump administration has systematically undermined science-based decision-making, which exacerbates existing environmental and health inequities for marginalized communities. It documents rollbacks in air and water pollution enforcement, the suppression of scientific data, and the dismantling of social safety nets and community participation programs. The document provides specific examples of these failures, such as the refusal to ban the pesticide chlorpyrifos and the suppression of PFAS contamination data, while highlighting state and local victories where communities have successfully pushed back against these trends.

• The Trump administration has significantly reduced the enforcement of environmental laws, producing the lowest number of anti-pollution criminal cases since 1988 and failing to adequately enforce the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.
• Marginalized communities face disproportionate exposure to air pollution; for example, 40% of communities of color and low-income communities are located within three miles of a power plant emitting PM2.5, compared to 20% of non-environmental justice communities.
• The EPA has rolled back the "once in, always in" policy for hazardous air pollutants, which could lead to increased pollution in at least 21 states, particularly in industrial clusters like "Cancer Alley" in Louisiana.
• The administration has failed to ban the pesticide chlorpyrifos despite scientific evidence that it can inhibit children's brain development, leading to higher risks of autism or lowered IQ.
• PFAS contamination is widespread in drinking water, and the administration suppressed a report from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry that found EPA health advisory levels were 7 to 10 times too high.
• Workplace safety is declining, with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) having the lowest number of inspectors in its 48-year history, while work-related deaths and catastrophes are at a decade-high.
• The administration has undermined social safety nets, including proposing cuts to the SNAP program that could cause over 750,000 people to lose benefits and implementing a "public charge" rule that discourages immigrants from using public assistance.
• Community participation has been curtailed, evidenced by a 70% drop in EPA Environmental Justice Small Grants awarded during the first two years of the Trump administration compared to the first two years of the Obama administration.
• The administration has actively suppressed scientific research, including halting a National Academies study on the health effects of mountaintop-removal mining in Appalachia and a study on sex trafficking in Indigenous communities.
• The administration blocked NASA from using sophisticated aircraft to measure air pollution in Houston following Hurricane Harvey, relying instead on less comprehensive ground measurements.

APA

Desikan, A., Carter, J., Kinser, S., & Goldman, G. (2019). Abandoned Science, Broken Promises. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/abandoned-science-broken-promises-web-final.pdf

Chicago

Desikan, Anita, Jacob Carter, Shea Kinser, and Gretchen Goldman. Abandoned Science, Broken Promises. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2019. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/abandoned-science-broken-promises-web-final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Desikan |first1=Anita |last2=Carter |first2=Jacob |last3=Kinser |first3=Shea |last4=Goldman |first4=Gretchen |title=Abandoned Science, Broken Promises |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=October 2019 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/abandoned-science-broken-promises-web-final.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{desikan2019abandoned, author = {Desikan, Anita and Carter, Jacob and Kinser, Shea and Goldman, Gretchen}, title = {{Abandoned Science, Broken Promises}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2019}, month = oct, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/abandoned-science-broken-promises-web-final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }