Hello everyone,
I’m Hilary Starcher-O’Toole, Executive Director of the Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community, or BCMAC. Thank you to the organizers of No Kings for creating space for us to gather. Today is about solidarity. It’s about communities standing together to ask important questions—like why resources that were committed to our region have quietly disappeared. When commitments are made to communities, especially those most impacted by environmental and public health challenges, we deserve transparency, accountability, and follow-through.
BCMAC’s mission seeks to protect the residents of Southwestern Pennsylvania, with emphasis on those in Beaver County, by informing them about the health, safety, environmental and economic impacts of fracking infrastructure, including the petrochemical buildout; and by supporting sustainable alternatives to carbon-based energy sources and economic development strategies in Beaver County.
Right now, we are experiencing the dismantling of the Environmental Justice programs meant to protect us- the residents of Beaver County. The EPA’s Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program was established to address environmental and health challenges in historically underserved areas that are highly impacted by environmental burdens . Like it or not, Beaver County has been identified as historically underserved and highly impacted by environmental challenges. Our top indicators include Toxic Air Emissions and Toxic Water Emissions. I’m sure this comes as no surprise, considering the industrial pollution we can witness ourselves from where we are standing.
BCMAC has been working diligently to ensure residents are aware of our status as an Environmental Justice Community, and to bring resources to our towns- like Aliquippa, Beaver Falls, Monaca, Rochester and Midland- to address them. We had close to $100,000 under review for community-led work, such as handheld air monitors deployed in impacted neighborhoods and grab sample equipment for air samples. But last month, the Thriving Communities Grant Program was suddenly shut down. And when it ceased operations, it wasn’t just paperwork that disappeared. It was $500,000 in funding for Beaver County—gone. Wiped out without explanation, without public input, without a plan to replace it.
Programs like Thriving Communities are not government handouts—they’re what justice looks like after decades of pollution, corporate abuse, and government inaction. These grants were meant to help communities like ours rebuild, to give us a fighting chance to breathe clean air, drink safe water, and heal the damage we didn’t cause.
Unfortunately, recent decisions in the budgeting process have led to the loss of critical opportunities BCMAC had hoped would drive meaningful change.
Not only did we have nearly $100,000 under review for community-led work when this program was axed, but we were preparing to apply for another $75,000. But our friends at RiverWise and New Sun Rising are losing over $100,000 that was already promised to them. Three Rivers Waterkeeper, who test the water quality of the Ohio River in Beaver County so we can stay educated and aware of what’s in our water, lost another $125,000. That’s nearly half a million dollars that would have gone to building community solutions—developed by us, for us. Gone, with no explanation.
The Department of Government Efficiency has recently taken actions that significantly reduced program funding and operations, with further changes anticipated.
These changes reflect a broader shift in priorities, visible in reduced budgets, delays in enforcement, and changes to existing environmental policies. History shows that when oversight is limited, communities like ours can be left vulnerable.
In East Palestine, following the Norfolk Southern derailment, it was the EPA that stepped in to conduct soil testing, engage with residents, and help guide recovery efforts. While the response wasn’t without challenges, it played a critical role in addressing an urgent public health situation.
Communities rely on strong public institutions to ensure safety, accountability, and resilience. Continued investment in these systems helps protect people and places from the impacts of industrial activity and environmental emergencies.
It’s important to recognize the broader implications: if agencies like the EPA lack the resources they need to operate effectively, and if our community input is no longer prioritized in funding decisions, then public health and safety are at risk. This impacts every town near fracked wells, every neighborhood downwind of industrial activity, and every family living near rail lines transporting hazardous materials.
Our efforts extend beyond Beaver County, regardless of our name. It’s about the shared right to clean air, safe water, and a healthy future for all of us. Community-led solutions are effective. Beaver County residents can look at our air quality in real time now, thanks to dedicated residents who are hosting air monitors in their backyards. We may have limited resources, but we’ve built support networks, educated our neighbors, monitored local air quality, and raised concerns about potentially harmful permits. Communities know what they need to stay safe—we just need the tools and support to continue to make it happen.
And that’s why I’m asking everyone here today—not just to listen to what I’m saying, but to act.
This is an environmental justice issue. And the only way to address it is by coming together—community by community.
Organizations like BCMAC, RiverWise, and Three Rivers Waterkeeper are doing vital work with limited resources and a strong commitment to the people we serve. That’s why I’m here today: to ensure that BCMAC’s mission continues, even in the face of funding challenges and shifting priorities.
We encourage residents to stay informed, participate in public processes, and ask questions—especially when it comes to decisions that impact community health and safety.
Your voice matters. When we come together, we help ensure every community is heard, supported, and protected.
This isn’t just about a grant. It’s about whether communities like ours have a voice in shaping a healthy, sustainable future.
So join us. Stand with us. Because we all deserve more than survival—we deserve to thrive. Thank you.