US Environmental Protection Agency sued over halted $3B climate justice grant

ISTANBUL

A coalition of nonprofits, Native American tribes, and local governments have sued the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to restore a $3 billion climate justice grant program halted by the Trump administration, Britain’s The Guardian reported Tuesday.

The lawsuit aims to compel the EPA and the agency’s administrator, Lee Zeldin, to reinstate the program and all individual grants, to avoid the recipients having to file individual lawsuits.

The $3 billion Environmental and Climate Justice (ECJ) program, established by Congress through the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, aims to help disadvantaged communities build resilience against climate shocks and environmental damage.

Congress designed the program to fund community projects nationwide addressing environmental harm such as pollution, lead pipes, flooding, and heat islands.

In February, under the Trump administration’s direction, the EPA began ending the entire ECJ program. In June, 23 grant recipients filed a lawsuit after the block grant was abruptly terminated and funds frozen overnight.

Attorneys representing the coalition argued for preliminary relief at the US District Court for the District of Columbia, seeking to force the EPA to immediately reinstate the ECJ program and unfreeze the funds.

A ruling on whether and where the case proceeds is expected later this month, with the judge deciding separately on the plaintiffs’ motion for class-action status.

Contrary to the consensus of the scientific community, Trump has denied the existence of global warming. Since rejoining the White House for a second term in January, he has worked to eliminate all climate change-related programs and also remove any references to it in official government documents, including websites.