Trump administration moves to eliminate $2.4 billion in environmental justice grants
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President Trump is cutting more than $2.4 billion in grants aimed at aiding disadvantaged communities, despite a court order to resume funding.
Marianne Lavelle and Peter Aldhous report for Inside Climate News.
In short:
- The EPA, led by Lee Zeldin, is terminating at least 384 grants, including all environmental and climate justice block grants created under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.
- The administration argues these programs constitute "favoritism" and has tied them to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives it seeks to eliminate, despite a judge’s order to lift the funding freeze.
- The cuts affect a broad range of projects, including clean water access in low-income and tribal communities, air pollution monitoring, and climate resilience efforts, with legal challenges now advancing to the appellate courts.
Key quote:
"These are illegal terminations. They mentioned that these are no longer EPA priorities, which shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what these grants were meant to do."
— Sacoby Wilson, director of the Health, Environmental, and Economic Justice Lab at the University of Maryland
Why this matters:
Environmental justice grants fund projects like improving drinking water infrastructure, monitoring toxic air emissions, and reducing risks from hazardous substances — essential services in areas historically neglected by both public and private investment. Ending these grants could deepen environmental and health inequities, especially in communities already struggling with high rates of asthma, cancer, and waterborne diseases. Rural and tribal areas, in particular, stand to lose critical support for climate adaptation and pollution mitigation. The move also raises broader constitutional questions about the executive branch’s authority to override congressional appropriations, which could reshape federal funding practices for years to come.
Learn more: Trump administration moves to dismantle environmental justice efforts
