The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing and potentially canceling billions of dollars in environmental justice grants, putting projects that support clean drinking water and disaster preparedness at risk, even in Republican-led states.
Julian Mark and Amudalat Ajasa report for The Washington Post.
In short:
- The EPA, under President Trump’s direction, is shutting down its Office of Environmental Justice and reviewing $2 billion in grants from the Inflation Reduction Act.
- Communities expecting funds for clean water infrastructure, storm preparedness, and pollution mitigation, including those in Idaho, California, and Florida, face uncertainty as grants are paused or terminated.
- Critics argue the cuts could harm public health, particularly in areas dealing with contaminated water and disaster recovery, while supporters call the grants wasteful spending.
Key quote:
“For the first time in generations, communities across our country had some hope that their government was going to give them a hand up. And just as they were starting to make some real change happen in their communities, their government is letting go.”
— Matthew Tejada, former EPA official who now works at the Natural Resources Defense Council
Why this matters:
Cutting environmental justice grants could have serious consequences for communities already struggling with polluted water, failing infrastructure, and climate-related disasters. Many of these projectsm such as upgrading sewer systems and improving storm resiliencem directly impact public health and safety. The move also reflects a broader rollback of environmental policies, with the EPA undoing regulations and funding programs established under the previous administration. Without these grants, underserved communities may face worsening conditions with fewer resources to adapt.
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