Democrats say EPA illegally canceled hundreds of grants aimed at boosting 'environmental justice'
Source: Associated Press
Democrats say EPA illegally canceled hundreds of grants aimed at boosting ‘environmental justice’
By MICHAEL PHILLIS, ALEXA ST. JOHN and MATTHEW DALY
Updated 5:05 PM EDT, March 25, 2025
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency illegally canceled grants worth more than $1.5 billion focused on improving the environment in minority communities hit hard by pollution, Senate Democrats say.
Hundreds of grants were awarded by former President Joe Biden’s administration under a 2022 law that directed the EPA to spend $3 billion on grants to help low-income and minority communities improve their air, water and protect against climate change. Those environmental justice efforts were a major priority under Biden.
President Donald Trump’s administration, however, has cut funding, grants and people focused on environmental justice. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced March 10 that that he was canceling more than 400 “DEI and Environmental Justice grants” totaling $1.7 billion. In a post on X, Zeldin said the cuts were the fourth -- and biggest -- round of EPA/Department of Government Efficiency cuts.
All nine Democrats on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works signed the letter to Zeldin dated Monday. It demands information from the EPA about the terminated grants and eliminated environmental justice employees, and asks the agency to explain its plans to “combat pollution specifically in marginalized communities.”
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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/epa-zeldin-environmental-justice-grants-diversity-equity-ddbcedb1c7d1c3c3f310abaf4044446c