Trump administration blocks billions in environmental justice funds despite court rulings

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is withholding at least $19 billion in climate and environmental justice funding, defying federal court orders and leaving vital programs in limbo.

Marianne Lavelle, Dylan Baddour, Lisa Sorg and Nicholas Kusnetz report for Inside Climate News.

In short:

The Trump administration has frozen billions in EPA grants and loans, ignoring court rulings that ordered funds to be distributed.
EPA administrator Lee Zeldin seeks to claw back $20 billion from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, alleging mismanagement but providing no evidence.
The freeze disrupts clean water, air monitoring, disaster recovery and community resilience projects, leaving low-income and minority communities particularly vulnerable.

Key quote:

“Organizations are going under. Farmers are losing jobs, low-income communities are losing critical access to food and businesses are waiting on invoices that must be paid.”

— Jillian Blanchard, Lawyers for Good Government

Why this matters:

Environmental justice programs target communities that have long faced disproportionate pollution and climate-related hardships. Many projects at risk — such as clean drinking water initiatives, air quality monitoring and energy efficiency upgrades — address public health and economic stability. The funding freeze could halt essential services and delay recovery efforts in areas still struggling from past disasters. Legal battles may take months, leaving many organizations in financial uncertainty.

insideclimatenews.org

Trump administration blocks billions in environmental justice funds despite court rulings

How grand plans to restart oil drilling off Santa Barbara’s coast hit California’s green wall

New Mexico has huge potential for geothermal energy—what will it take to harness it?

Climate change and aging drains wreak havoc on Indian city

A Japanese Pinot Noir town blessed by climate change now worries about the weather

Extreme heat is making toxics even more dangerous to farmworkers, study says

Planet’s first catastrophic climate tipping point reached, report says, with coral reefs facing ‘widespread dieback’

As Trump rants against clean energy, the rest of the world zooms past the U.S.

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.