Monday February 24, 2025
McMaster University —
With the possibility of fewer environmental protections under U.S. President Donald Trump, experts are warning about the impact on Canada’s water security and resources, and environmental, health, and economic risks.
Gail Krantzberg, professor emeritus in McMaster’s W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology, has studied the remediation and protection of the Great Lakes for years.
She shares some insights and suggestions for Canadians interested in protecting water resources.
Donald Trump’s approach to regulation poses a serious threat to our waters. He believes less regulation is better. He believes in reducing regulations on industries like mining, oil exploration, and manufacturing, which often leads to higher discharge of pollutants being released into the environment. In our case, this could directly affect the Great Lakes and other water bodies in Canada.
Under the Biden administration, there was a move to ban a class of substances known as PFAS. These are long-lasting synthetic chemicals that build up in our bodies and in aquatic life, leading to serious health issues like cancer, kidney and liver damage and reproductive impairment. Trump is rolling that back, allowing PFAS to remain in products, and therefore in our waters.