At HRWC, we rely on our federal partners for many things. Civil servants from USGS, NOAA, EPA and other agencies have put their hearts and careers into making our air, soil and water safer for ecosystems and people.
The work of these federal agency staff and budgets support a healthy Huron River. Here are a few examples:
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
USGS stream gages provide critical data for river protection and public safety. The agency’s research on the extent of PAH contamination in our waterways and sourcing it back to commonly used coal tar-based pavement sealants led HRWC to advocate for and achieve nearly 20 local ordinances banning the use of high PAH sealants.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
NOAA forecasting helps us and river residents anticipate flood conditions, especially in areas experiencing disproportionate impacts due to climate change and increasingly severe precipitation events.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
EPA’s EJScreen laid the groundwork for the development of EGLE’s MiEJScreen. This data was foundational to HRWC’s community engagement work to help identify areas in our watershed with high social vulnerability or places experiencing disproportionate environmental burdens. This data also helps us better incorporate equity considerations into project and proposal development.
Funding from the Clean Water Act and other federal sources has financially supported many of our restoration and water quality improvement projects, including habitat restoration, dam removal, green stormwater infrastructure, septic system remediation and many others.
EPA provides emergency response services when spills or illegal dumping occurs like in 2022 in Flat Rock when an old underground storage tank leaked at Flat Rock Metals, or the gas leak from the Ford Flat Rock Assembly Plant into the City’s sanitary sewer system.
EPA contributes to the research necessary to understand which chemicals are harmful to humans and how. They have been a key partner as we have gained an understanding of the harms caused by PFAS in the Huron River.
Their regulatory authority provides critical protections to wetlands, forests, drinking water, the air we breathe and so much more.
In Solidarity with Our Civil Servants
HRWC’s mission is to protect and restore the Huron River for healthy and vibrant communities. We have been at this work for 60 years. We are nonpartisan. We have made progress through every administration, democratic or republican since we were founded in 1965. We will work with anyone finding alignment around our mission, and we will challenge anyone who compromises our ability to meet it.
Never in the history of this organization has our mission been so under attack. The consequences of the funding, regulatory, and capacity rollbacks on anything related to the environment and climate are massive. Climate, in particular, can’t wait. We can’t suffer setbacks. And the capacity we are losing in our agencies will take decades to recover from even after the administration changes. The damages cannot be undone quickly.
We must keep telling our stories. We must keep challenging the legality of the administration’s actions. We must keep asking Congress to fight for what is right for the American people. And we must keep building bridges between us and our neighbors, finding common ground despite the divisive rhetoric. Our health, safety and welfare are at stake. A healthy environment is critical to this goal and so are our federal agency partners.
Ask Congress to keep fighting for what is right!
Call your Member of Congress and ask them to hold the EPA accountable for following the law and protecting our air, water, health, and communities from these disastrous decisions. Find your Member of Congress HERE!
This blog is adapted from a speech given by Rebecca Esselman, HRWC Executive Director, at the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Earth Day Rally on April 22, 2025.