California's environmental justice protections may weaken under Trump
The future of civil rights protections for California’s most vulnerable communities could be at risk if a Trump administration guts the EPA’s oversight powers.
Aaron Cantú reports for Capital & Main.
In short:
- Project 2025, a plan for a future Republican administration, would curtail the EPA’s ability to enforce civil rights laws.
- California has used federal civil rights law to hold state agencies accountable, but only one case has succeeded in the past two decades.
- Environmental justice activists worry that if Trump returns to office, the state will not step in to protect vulnerable communities.
Key quote:
“The vast majority of legal wins for the environmental justice movement have come through civil rights law.”
— Catherine Garoupa White, executive director, Central Valley Air Quality Coalition
Why this matters:
Weakening the EPA’s authority could limit protections against discriminatory policies that harm communities of color. If California does not take action, these communities may face increased environmental risks without federal intervention.
Read more: The environmental justice movement moves front and center: Derrick Z. Jackson
