Like much of the government, staffing of the EPA has been gutted. The few of Trump’s loyalists that went into the EPA to redirect the ship have faced stiff resistance. Buoyed by loosening regulations, companies are polluting more heavily — often flagrantly violating air and water safety standards. But the EPA does not have enough capacity to keep up all its research stations — or funding to fix those that break.
You map out some ways citizen scientists like yourself can help stretch the EPA’s limited resources. You coordinate with universities to donate supplies and support student efforts. You are able to document real-time measurements of pollutants. The EPA can use them in court — and at least use them to track where to put their energy.
Your first readings of elevated results come in, with contaminants unique to a local coal-fired plant. You quietly report your results to the EPA. Your contact confirms these levels are hazardously high and likely illegal, even with Trump’s more relaxed standards. These readings point to long-term health problems. Their enforcement wing comes in 3 months later and the coal plant pays a modest fine. It’s a drop in a big bucket, but you know every bit helps.
