THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Judge Says EPA Illegally Cancelled a $2.8 Billion Environmental Justice Program This story was originally published by Inside Climate News and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. A federal judge in South Carolina ruled this week that the Trump administration’s termination of environmental justice grants was “illegal.” The decision dealt a setback to efforts to dismantle a Biden-era program that funded projects addressing environmental and public health challenges […]

Trump's EPA Unlawfully Cancelled Environmental Justice Grants, Judge ... A federal judge in South Carolina ruled this week that the Trump administration’s termination of environmental justice grants was “illegal.” The decision dealt a setback to efforts to dismantle a Biden-era program that funded projects addressing environmental and public health challenges in underserved communities across the country. In the ruling, U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel found that the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to eliminate the $2.8 billion Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grant Program was unlawful and voided the action. However, Gergel stopped short of issuing a permanent injunction requiring the agency to resume administering the program. He said such an order would likely require the federal government to rehire staff responsible for overseeing the grants, which appeared “impractical” since the Trump administration already fired those employees. The judge also denied a request to extend the program’s September deadline for awarding grant funds. The Southern Environmental Law Center filed the lawsuit in partnership with the Public Rights Project. Kym Meyer, the center’s …

Trump's EPA Unlawfully Cancelled Environmental Justice Grants: Judge "The decision voided the EPA guidance to terminate the $2.8 billion grant program. But it stopped short of requiring the agency to resume administering it." "A federal judge in South Carolina ruled this week that the Trump administration’s termination of environmental justice grants was “illegal.” The decision dealt a setback to efforts to dismantle a Biden-era program that funded projects addressing environmental and public health challenges in underserved communities across the country. In the ruling, U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel found that the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to eliminate the $2.8 billion Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grant Program was unlawful and voided the action. However, Gergel stopped short of issuing a permanent injunction requiring the agency to resume administering the program. He said such an order would likely require the federal government to rehire staff responsible for overseeing the grants, which appeared “impractical” since the Trump administration already fired those employees. The judge also denied a request to extend the program’s September deadline…

The EPA Illegally Terminated Climate Justice Grants, a Federal Judge ... Did you know that Truthout is a nonprofit and independently funded by readers like you? If you value what we do, please support our work witha donation. A South Carolina federal judge ruled last week that the Trump administration’s termination of hundreds of environmental justice grants was illegal, a decision that could impact $20 million in federal funding rescinded from the Walker River Paiute Tribe in Nevada. The Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to terminate the $2.8 billion Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grant Program was “arbitrary and capricious and unlawful,” U.S. District Judge Richard Mark Gergel wrote inan orderThursday. The federal climate program wasterminated in May 2025following two executive orders issued by President Donald Trump targeting funding forrenewable energyanddiversity, equity and inclusionefforts at the federal level. In Nevada, the program’s termination eliminated a $20 million EPA grant that would have funded amulti-year climate resiliency planto deliver water, energy, and food infrastructure to about 1,200 tribal members who live on the Walker River Reserv…

Federal Judge Rules the EPA Unlawfully Ended Justice Block Grants Agencies The agency’s decision to stop the $2.8 billion program was “arbitrary and capricious and unlawful,” the judge ruled. The Environmental Protection Agency’s move to shutter a justice block grant program was illegal, a federal judge ruled Thursday.Tripplaar Kristoffer/Sipa via AP ByMark Alfred June 11, 202608:21 PM A federal judge on Thursday overturned anEnvironmental Protection Agencydecision under President Donald Trump to shutter a $2.8 billion block grant program. The EPA’s move to terminate the Biden-era Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grant Program last year was “illegal,” U.S. District Judge Richard Mark Gergel wrote in anopinion. In February 2025, the EPAstarted to unravelthe ECJ Program following President Donald Trump’s executive order “Unleashing American Energy” that required agencies to “pause the disbursement” of such funds. Not long after, a coalition of nonprofits and cities — including Baltimore, Nashville and San Diego — sued the federal government to retain grants they had been awarded under the program. On Thursday, Gergel, an Obama appointee, sided with the coalition, wri…