Judge rules EPA overstepped in cutting pollution grants
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from canceling $600 million in environmental justice grants aimed at helping underserved communities reduce pollution.
Rachel Frazin reports for The Hill.
In short:
- The grants stem from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which set aside $3 billion for environmental justice programs.
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President Biden had planned to distribute the $600 million through regional groups, which would fund local efforts, before the Trump EPA terminated the grants earlier this year.
- Judge Adam Abelson ruled the EPA's cancellation exceeded its authority “precisely because they are ‘environmental justice’ programs."
Key quote:
The move included a “lack of any reasoned decision-making, or reasoned explanation.”
— Judge Adam Abelson, U.S. District Court
Why this matters:
Underserved communities often face the greatest environmental health risks and climate impacts. These grants were designed to help local groups respond to long-standing environmental harms and health risks, and canceling them would have cut off vital support just as cleanup efforts were beginning to gain traction. The Trump administration has also attempted to cancel a similar $20 billion program that would fund climate-friendly projects.
