Lawsuit Against the Environmental Protection Agency
A North Texas advocacy group is part of a coalition that is suing the Environmental Protection Agency over the termination of a grant program that would have helped support environmental initiatives in Dallas, according to a news release sent by the group Thursday afternoon.
Downwinders at Risk — which started and is based in North Texas — along with a group of local governments, other nonprofits and tribes, says ending the program by defunding it “is unlawful.”
“It violates bedrock separation-of-powers principles by effectively repealing a congressional enactment and impounding funds based on nothing more than the President’s disagreement with policies Congress duly enacted,” the lawsuit says.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s Response
The Dallas Morning News reached out to the EPA, but the agency declined to comment on any current or pending litigation.
Breaking News
The Environmental and Climate Justice Program
The Environmental and Climate Justice Program was created by the Inflation Reduction Act under Clean Air Act Section 138, which was passed in 2022 to provide funding assistance to carry out environmental and climate justice activities.
Since February, the EPA has been eliminating the grant program by not carrying out the congressional directive to fund the programs, according to the lawsuit document shared by Earth Justice, a nonprofit organization headquartered in California.
Impact on the Community
“The termination of grant agreements disrupts our community-driven air quality data collection and community engagement that are essential for addressing environmental health disparities,” said Caleb Roberts, executive director of Downwinders at Risk, in the release.
“Our grant would have replaced existing air quality monitors and expanded the network to more working-class, frontline communities in the DFW area,” he said.
In September 2020, the group co-launched SharedAirDFW, an air-monitoring network in Texas, which received a $500,000 award in February to expand the network to several at-risk communities across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the release said.
Roberts said the group wanted to use the funds from the grant program to continue gathering data on hyperlocal levels of particulate matter pollution across Dallas.
He said the funds “would have supported air monitors in Joppa, West Dallas, Tenth Street, the Cedars, and Highland Hills.”
Related: Higher levels of air pollution, asthma found in Dallas’ Joppa neighborhood, study finds
Other Plaintiffs in the Lawsuit
The other plaintiffs of the lawsuit come from different regions of the country, including Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Washington, New York and more, the release said.
The EPA has come under fire for canceling billions of dollars in congressionally approved spending and slashing its budget and staffing.
In March, EPA workers in Dallas joined colleagues all over the country in demonstrations against the Trump administration’s move to eliminate hundreds of positions from the agency.
Conclusion
The lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency is a significant step towards protecting the environment and ensuring that the agency follows the law. The termination of the grant program has disrupted community-driven air quality data collection and community engagement, which are essential for addressing environmental health disparities.
The EPA’s actions have been met with criticism and opposition from various groups and individuals, and it remains to be seen how the lawsuit will unfold. One thing is certain, however: the fight for environmental justice will continue, and it is crucial that we support organizations like Downwinders at Risk that are working tirelessly to protect our communities and our planet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the Environmental and Climate Justice Program?
A: The Environmental and Climate Justice Program was created by the Inflation Reduction Act under Clean Air Act Section 138 to provide funding assistance to carry out environmental and climate justice activities.
Q: Why is the EPA terminating the grant program?
A: The EPA has been eliminating the grant program by not carrying out the congressional directive to fund the programs, according to the lawsuit document shared by Earth Justice.
Q: How will the termination of the grant program affect the community?
A: The termination of grant agreements disrupts community-driven air quality data collection and community engagement that are essential for addressing environmental health disparities.
Q: What is Downwinders at Risk, and what is their role in the lawsuit?
A: Downwinders at Risk is a North Texas advocacy group that is part of a coalition suing the Environmental Protection Agency over the termination of the grant program. They are seeking to protect the environment and ensure that the EPA follows the law.
Q: What is the outcome of the lawsuit?
A: The outcome of the lawsuit is uncertain, but it is a significant step towards protecting the environment and ensuring that the EPA follows the law.
