The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently withholding over $19 billion meant for climate and environmental justice. This decision goes against federal court rulings and puts crucial programs on hold.
According to a report by Marianne Lavelle, Dylan Baddour, Lisa Sorg, and Nicholas Kusnetz for Inside Climate News, this funding freeze is impacting various initiatives across the country.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the situation:
- The Trump administration has frozen billions in EPA grants and loans despite court rulings demanding their release.
- EPA administrator Lee Zeldin is trying to retract $20 billion from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, citing mismanagement without providing solid proof.
- This funding hold-up affects projects aimed at clean water, air quality monitoring, disaster recovery, and strengthening community resilience, especially harming low-income and minority communities.
One advocate highlights the seriousness of this freeze: “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,” says Jillian Blanchard from Lawyers for Good Government.
This situation matters because environmental justice programs aim to help communities that have historically faced high levels of pollution and climate-related issues. Projects at risk, like clean drinking water efforts and air quality improvements, are vital for public health and economic stability. The funding freeze not only threatens these essential services but could also slow down recovery for areas still dealing with the effects of past disasters. Legal disputes over these funds may drag on, leaving many organizations in financial distress.
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climate change, environmental health, environmental justice, public health
