Boston (May 2, 2025) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, today condemned the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) plan to cancel nearly 800 grants awarded under President Biden, which includes all environmental justice grants awarded and obligated by the agency. This news comes amidst ongoing battles in courts over whether the EPA had violated its legal obligations when clawing back funds through freezes and shutouts.

“The Trump administration’s plan to terminate hundreds of environmental justice grants is a shameful abandonment of communities nationwide that are working to address generations of historical pollution and underinvestment – efforts made possible by the very grants Trump and Zeldin are set on axing. The administration's funding freezes have wreaked havoc on communities that are counting on federal investments to weather storms more safely, breathe cleaner air, drink cleaner water, live closer to green space, and save on utility bills,” said Senator Markey. “These callous cuts only force more chaos and uncertainty on small community groups and local environmental justice organizations working tirelessly to improve their communities and lead the fight for a livable future for all.”

Most of the grants set for termination are those issued by the Office of Environmental Justice and Civil Rights, EPA’s chief environmental justice arm currently being dismantled by the Trump administration. Funds set for termination include environmental justice funding that provides long-overdue resources like technical assistance and staff capacity for underinvested frontline and fenceline communities, including the Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (TCTAC) and Community Change Grant programs.

Since January, EPA environmental justice grantees have been blindsided by sudden grant termination notices, grant freezes, or have been shut out of funding access portals without any warning. Since environmental justice grants are reimbursement-based and contracts require grantees to continue implementing their projects, many grantees have been forced to pay for costs out of pocket without assurance that they will be paid back. Additionally, significant, and sudden EPA staff cuts have left many grantees without proper lines of communication with the EPA about the status of their funds.

###