A big bad bill for New York’s water, climate, and communities
Federal legislation strips funding for critical Hudson River programs
July 2, 2025
Tracy Brown
President and Hudson Riverkeeper
Jeremy Cherson
Associate Director of Government Affairs
jeremyc@riverkeeper.org
The so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” is an historic and sweeping attack on environmental protection, climate resilience, and public oversight. This bill, which is heading back to the House of Representatives after passing in the Senate, undercuts the foundation of Riverkeeper’s work to defend clean water, the Hudson River, and the people and wildlife that rely on it.
Harm to the Hudson and clean water:
- Undermines the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by allowing polluters to ‘pay-to-play’ for faster, less transparent environmental reviews and reduced public participation
- Eliminates $2.6 billion in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) coastal resilience funds, which are vital to storm preparation and habitat restoration
- Strips $193 million from NOAA programs, including environmental review, marine sanctuaries, and climate data systems
- Puts weather forecasting and atmospheric research at risk, undermining public safety in extreme weather events
- Jeopardizes local NOAA facilities, including the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve (HRNERR) at Norrie Point
- Rescinds Endangered Species Act recovery funds, weakening protections for at-risk species and habitats like the critically endangered Atlantic Sturgeon
- Eliminates EPA’s Climate Justice Block Grants, a $3 billion grant program designed to assist overburdened communities with pollution challenges at the community level – including funding that has assisted with monitoring water pollution and cleaning up toxic sites.
- Strips funding for EPA’s environmental review improvements, eliminating $40 million aimed at modernizing permitting systems, improving public transparency, and strengthening science-based oversight
At the heart of the bill is an effort to gut the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) — the law that requires environmental review and public input before major federal projects are approved. This bill allows polluters to pay for faster permitting or to bypass review altogether. That fundamentally breaks NEPA’s promise of fairness, transparency, and science-driven decision-making.
The bill eliminates $2.6 billion from NOAA’s coastal resilience programs — grants that support wetland restoration, stormwater upgrades, and planning for sea-level rise in the Hudson Valley. These programs are essential for flood protection and drinking water security.
Equally troubling is the bill’s rescission of $193 million in funds for NOAA’s environmental review systems, marine sanctuaries, and facilities that conduct critical scientific research. This cut threatens weather forecasting, atmospheric research, and climate modeling capacity nationwide.
That cut may also hit local NOAA assets, including the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve (HRNERR) — a vital center for habitat monitoring, public education, and flood adaptation research on the Hudson.
Cutting NOAA’s capabilities will directly endanger public safety, especially as communities face increasing extreme weather events. Accurate storm forecasting and environmental monitoring are not optional — they are lifelines.
In addition to targeting NOAA, the bill also guts key Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) programs. It eliminates $40 million in Inflation Reduction Act funds designated to improve environmental reviews — money intended to help the EPA modernize its technology, hire additional reviewers, and engage the public more effectively. Without this support, permitting decisions will become slower, less transparent, and more vulnerable to error — especially when it comes to evaluating pollution and flooding risks in places like the Hudson and Mohawk Valleys and New York City.
The bill also rescinds $3 billion in Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grants, a critical funding stream for low-income and overburdened communities to monitor pollution, advocate for clean water, and protect public health. These cuts signal a deeper erosion of federal environmental oversight and leave vulnerable communities with fewer tools to protect themselves.
Beyond our region, the bill also mandates $4.2 billion in new offshore oil and gas lease sales, expanding drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska’s coastal waters. These leases risk major ecological damage and infringe on Indigenous sovereignty. As a proud member of the Waterkeeper Alliance, Riverkeeper stands with our sister Waterkeepers in the Gulf and Alaska; their waters and communities must not be sacrificed.
Finally, the bill would rescind dedicated funding for Endangered Species Act (ESA) recovery plans, weakening the science and capacity needed to protect threatened wildlife like the endangered Atlantic Sturgeon in the Hudson River.
In our decades of work defending the Hudson River and the drinking water supply for 10 million New Yorkers, we have never witnessed an attack on clean water protections of this scale. We strongly urge members of New York’s Congressional delegation who represent portions of the Hudson River watershed such as representatives Mike Lawler, Nicole Malliotakis, Claudia Tenney, and Elise Stefanik to reject this reconciliation bill that will harm their communities and pollute their own backyards.
One thing is certain, if passed and signed into law, it will take years if not decades to undo the harm that will be unleashed as a result of this mega-polluting bill.
We may be down, but we are not out
The threats we face now are unparalleled to any in modern history. But even in this moment we still have power. Every voice raised, every action taken, and every gift invested in solutions moves us forward. Together, we'll stand for the waters that sustain us and the world we know is still possible.
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The Hudson River watershed is home to a breathtaking diversity of life. Protecting and restoring our aquatic habitats is critical for their renewal and for a healthy future for all life in the watershed
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