As Election Day approaches, Project 2025 is a stark reminder of the clear choice Americans have this fall – progress or a plan that would take us backward 50 years. 

All eyes are on the 2024 election, and there’s a lot at stake. The Biden-Harris administration, along with environmental champions in Congress, passed some of the most significant policies to address climate change in history, set federal standards for toxic PFAS chemicals, and are working to transition our country to clean, affordable energy at a faster rate than ever before. All of this progress hangs in the balance as Donald Trump tries to take back the White House, and the writing on the wall for what’s in store for our environment if he’s successful is alarming, if not downright scary. 

You may have heard about Project 2025 in the news: it’s an extreme, dangerous policy roadmap developed by the far-right Heritage Foundation for a potential future Trump administration. Project 2025 takes aim at a wide range of our country’s institutions, threatens to dismantle American democracy and our voting rights, and attacks women’s rights, immigrant rights, and LGBTQ rights – all with the apparent goal of turning the United States into an authoritarian white-nationalist country. 

But Trump, the Heritage Foundation, and their extremist MAGA supporters won’t stop at just our voting rights and reproductive freedoms. In addition to its extreme, dangerous, and dystopian societal plans, Project 2025 outlines significant rollbacks on environmental protections and clean energy initiatives that would have far-reaching and devastating impacts on Michigan’s environment. 

Here’s what you need to know about how Project 2025 would threaten our air, land, and water here in Michigan.

1. Rolling back Michigan’s historic clean energy investments

Since the passage of the Biden-Harris Inflation Reduction Act in 2022 and the Clean Energy and Jobs Act in 2023, Michigan has become a national leader in clean energy projects, jobs, and overall investment. A new report from Climate Power found Michigan is a top five state in clean energy thanks to the Biden-Harris clean energy plan, sparking 62 new clean energy projects, 21,748 good-paying clean energy jobs, and over $26.6 billion in clean energy investments to our state in just two years. 

Project 2025 threatens to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and other federal laws that are driving the clean energy transition. The prospect of these historic clean energy investments and our incredible progress to clean up our air and water over the last two years being in jeopardy is a scary thought. Without federal support from the Inflation Reduction Act and infrastructure funding, Michigan’s ambitious clean energy goals could stall, making it impossible to transition our state to low-cost, reliable clean energy at the speed we need. 

As we continue to make strides toward a greener future in Michigan, additional billions of federal dollars are set to come to our state for clean energy projects and energy efficiency upgrades for homes. These investments are crucial for our transition to a clean energy future, lowering energy costs, and putting money back in the pockets of Michigan families.

2. Eliminating environmental regulations & restricting accountability 

One of the most alarming decrees in Project 2025 is its plan to significantly weaken or even shut down the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Eliminating the government agency with the sole responsibility of protecting our environment at its face is a bad idea, (it’s in the agency’s name after all,) but the impacts go much deeper. For those that might not be aware, in short, the EPA is a safeguard for our state’s air, land, and water, particularly when it comes to protecting our Great Lakes, enforcing pollution controls, and holding polluters accountable.

The Great Lakes are among our most precious natural resources, providing drinking water to millions, supporting a rich ecosystem, and driving Michigan’s economy. The EPA has been critical in enforcing regulations that protect these waters from pollution, invasive species, and industrial contamination. Without the EPA’s oversight, Michigan’s ability to maintain clean and safe water could be severely compromised. State agencies like the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) heavily depend on the EPA for support in enforcing clean water standards and preventing environmental disasters like toxic algal blooms and chemical spills.

The EPA also provides critical assistance to Michigan when it comes to holding polluters accountable. By regulating industries and enforcing environmental laws, the EPA ensures that polluters face consequences for violations, whether it’s discharging toxic waste into rivers or releasing harmful air pollutants. Project 2025’s plan to shut down the EPA would dismantle these enforcement mechanisms, giving big polluters a free ride to do as they wish as far as the federal government is concerned. This is particularly concerning for low-income and communities of color, who are disproportionately affected by pollution and environmental hazards. 

As Michigan faces growing environmental challenges, the need for strong federal oversight and enforcement has never been more critical. Project 2025’s proposed environmental regulatory rollbacks – including the elimination of environmental justice policies and practices – would be a devastating setback for Michigan’s most vulnerable communities, leaving them with fewer resources to combat environmental injustices. Defending the EPA and its mission is essential to ensuring a safe, healthy, and sustainable future for all.

3. Gutting drinking water protections for toxic PFAS chemicals

Like many states across the country, communities across our state have been severely impacted by toxic PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination, with hundreds of sites across the state identified as polluted by these harmful chemicals. Impacted communities and individuals have been experiencing the devastating health consequences of PFAS contamination for decades, including high rates of cancer, kidney and liver disease, and reproductive issues. But federal action has helped us take critical steps towards protecting our health from these “forever chemicals.” 

Just this year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finally set standards for PFAS in drinking water and committed significant funding to cleanup efforts. These Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) represent the most meaningful federal action to address toxic PFAS to date and are the first step toward protecting vulnerable communities from the impacts of contamination. 

Project 2025 takes direct aim at these important drinking water protections. The extreme plans propose revisiting the designation of PFAS chemicals as hazardous substances, weakening regulations and enforcement. This rollback would not only hinder Michigan’s efforts to tackle PFAS contamination – it would leave thousands of communities across the country vulnerable to these toxic “forever chemicals” and undo more than a decade’s worth of progress.

4. Dismantling climate resilience and doubling down on fossil fuels

In 2024, the vast majority of people believe climate change is real and we must do something about it. Climate change deniers are now a fringe group that rejects scientific findings and facts. 

Michigan has been at the forefront of efforts to reduce carbon emissions and build climate resilience with ambitious goals aimed at combating climate change. Under Project 2025, a future Trump administration would double down on fossil fuel dependence by expanding oil and gas drilling on federally owned lands and waters and dismantling our efforts to build resiliency to the impacts of climate change by slashing funding for key federal programs.

Project 2025’s “Drill Baby, Drill” approach would only prolong our dependence on fossil fuels, exacerbating global climate change and perpetuating the risks associated with outdated and hazardous infrastructure – like Michigan’s Line 5 pipeline. The aging pipeline, which runs through the ecologically sensitive Straits of Mackinac, poses a significant threat to the Great Lakes. By keeping Line 5 and other dangerous pipelines operational and stalling the transition to cleaner forms of energy, Project 2025 increases the likelihood of environmental catastrophes that could devastate Michigan’s natural resources and communities.

Bizarrely, Project 2025 would also eliminate the National Weather Service – an essential resource we all count on for accurate weather data and forecasting. As climate impacts like severe weather become more common, stripping away our ability to protect ourselves and our families from floods, storms, and other climate-related weather disasters would weaken our communities’ climate resilience and put the most vulnerable Michiganders at greater risk. 

The potential consequences of Project 2025 are far-reaching and could significantly impact Michigan’s environment. Rolling back clean energy investments, eliminating environmental regulations, undoing progress on PFAS, and doubling down on fossil fuel dependence would all make it harder for us to protect our state’s natural resources and ensure a sustainable future.