E.P.A. Plans to Close All Environmental Justice Offices

The Trump administration plans to eliminate Environmental Protection Agency offices tasked with addressing the disproportionately high levels of pollution in poor communities, per a memo from agency administrator Lee Zeldin.

In an internal memo seen by The New York Times, Mr. Zeldin informed agency leaders that he was ordering the “reorganization and elimination” of the environmental justice offices in all 10 E.P.A. regional offices as well as the one in Washington.

This move effectively puts an end to three decades of efforts at the E.P.A. to alleviate pollution in disadvantaged communities, which are often situated near sources of pollution like highways, power plants, and industrial facilities. Studies have shown that residents in these communities have higher rates of health issues such as asthma and heart disease compared to the national average.

“If anybody needed a clearer sign that this administration does not care about the people of the United States, this is it,” said Matthew Tejada, a former E.P.A. official who now serves as a senior vice president for environmental health at the Natural Resources Defense Fund.

Molly Vaseliou, a spokesperson for the E.P.A., characterized the changes as “organizational improvements” in line with President Trump’s directives to eliminate wasteful spending and diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

In a statement, Mr. Zeldin implied that environmental justice, defined by the agency in 2013 as “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income” in relation to environmental laws, was akin to discrimination.

“President Trump was elected with a mandate from the American people,” Mr. Zeldin stated. “Part of this mandate includes the elimination of forced discrimination programs.”

This decision follows Mr. Zeldin’s cancellation of numerous grants this week, many of which were intended for environmental justice initiatives.

Last month, Mr. Zeldin placed 168 employees working on environmental justice on leave, but a federal judge compelled him to reinstate dozens of them this week after finding that the action was legally unfounded. Several E.P.A. employees anticipate that many of these individuals may once again face termination as the agency and others brace for significant workforce reductions.

Last week, the E.P.A. and the Justice Department dropped a lawsuit against a petrochemical plant by the Biden administration, which had argued that the plant increased cancer risks in a predominantly Black community in Louisiana.

The lawsuit was one of President Biden’s prominent endeavors to improve conditions in an area known as “Cancer Alley” due to its history of toxic pollution.

The E.P.A. withdrew its prosecution referral in alignment with Administrator Lee Zeldin’s commitment to ceasing the use of ‘environmental justice’ as a means to advance ideological agendas, as stated by the Justice Department in a press release.

During his presidency, Mr. Biden stressed the importance of addressing the disproportionate burden faced by communities of color from exposure to environmental hazards. He established the White House Office of Environmental Justice and mandated that federal agencies allocate 40 percent of environmental program benefits to marginalized communities impacted by pollution. The E.P.A.’s Office of Environmental Justice, established during the Clinton administration, saw significant expansion under President Biden.

The Trump administration has now reversed all of these efforts.

“This does not make America healthier or greater,” remarked Mr. Tejada. “It makes us sicker, smaller, and uglier than we have been in at least a generation.”