The Trump administration intends to eliminate the Environmental Protection Agency office responsible for addressing disproportionate pollution faced by poor communities.
In an internal memorandum of The New York Times, Mr. Selding informed the agency leaders that he was “reorganizing and phased out” the Office of Environmental Justice in all 10 EPA regional offices and all 10 EPA regional offices in Washington.
Mr. Zeldin's move effectively ended his thirty years of work at the EPA to relieve the burden of poverty and pollution from ethnic minority communities, often located near highways, power plants, industrial power plants and other polluting facilities. Research shows that people living in these communities have higher rates of asthma, heart disease and other health problems than the national average.
“If anyone needs clearer signs that this administration has no damn for the American people, that’s it.” Former EPA official Matthew Tejada is now senior vice president of environmental health at the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Fund.
EPA spokesman Molly Vaseliou described the moves as “organizational improvement,” in line with President Trump’s order to end wasted spending and diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
In a statement, Mr. Zeldin suggested that environmental justice was defined in 2013 as “equal treatment and meaningful participation in race, color, nationality or income related to environmental law”, which is for environmental law.
“President Trump is authorized by the American people,” Celding said. “Part of this mission includes the program to eliminate mandatory discrimination.”
The decision comes after Mr Selding canceled hundreds of grants this week, many of whom were designated as environmental justice.
Last month, Mr. Selding hired environmental justice for 168 employees on leave, but this week a federal judge forced him to rehire dozens of people after finding the action had no legal basis. Several EPA employees said they are being eliminated for many again as the agency and others prepare for a wide range of effective reductions.
Last week, the EPA and the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the petrochemical plant by the Biden administration, which claims the plant has an increased risk of cancer in Louisiana, mainly black communities.
The lawsuit is for President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
The Justice Department said in a press release that the EPA withdraws its referral to the prosecution case, using a commitment to “with executive Lee Zeldin's commitment to end the use of 'environmental justice' as a tool to advance ideological priorities.
As president, Mr Biden stressed the need to address the inequality burdens that people of color suffer from exposure to environmental hazards. He created the White House Office of Environmental Justice and directed federal agencies to provide 40% of environmental program benefits to marginalized communities that face disproportionate pollution. The EPA Office of Environmental Justice, founded by the Clinton administration, has expanded significantly under Mr. Biden's leadership.
The Trump administration has now eliminated all of this.
“This won't make the United States healthier or bigger,” Tejada said. “It's sicker, smaller, and uglier than at least one generation.”
