Yes! – How Environmental Justice Grant Cuts in 2025 are Affecting Black Communities

President Donald Trump’s return to office in 2025 brought a wave of environmental justice (EJ) program rollbacks. As of March 28, 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has canceled over 400 environmental justice (EJ) grants intended to support projects in minority and low-income communities totaling approximately $1.7 billion.

The new Trump appointed EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has defended the elimination of these programs by referring to them as “forced discrimination programs.” and He stated “The government shouldn’t be in the business of deciding which communities are ‘deserving’ based on historical injustices,” Zeldin reportedly said in a March 2025 statement (Eos.org).

Many federally-funded projects in predominantly Black communities nationwide – from Detroit to Louisiana’s rural “Cancer Alley” – were canceled or frozen. Below is a fact-checked list of some of the affected locations, with details on the grants lost, community demographics, and local reactions:

Sample of Impacted Communities and Programs (2025)

“Cancer Alley” – St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana (53% Black)

• Cancer Risk: Along Louisiana’s industrial corridor, predominantly Black river parishes (counties) face some of the highest cancer risks in the nation due to emissions from petrochemical plants.The community of Reserve has a cancer risk approximately 50x the national average due to petrochemical emissions.
  ► The Guardian
• Canceled Grant: $2.4M EPA cooperative grant awarded to the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ) to fund local pollution watchdog groups in – air monitoring, emergency preparedness and education was frozen in Jan. 2025.
  ► DSCEJ.org | AP News
• Quote: Dr. Beverly Wright, DSCEJ founder: “Trump’s election put hard-fought wins by our movements over decades on the chopping block.”
• Local Response: Concerned Citizens of St. John say the freeze harms their ability to document toxic releases and fight for stricter emissions limits in Black communities living next to chemical plants

Detroit, Michigan (83% Black)

• Canceled Grant: $474,000 for Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice (DWEJ) for air-quality monitoring was terminated in March 2025. ► Planet Detroit
• Quote: Local EJ advocates slammed the cut as “a spiteful directive” that leaves working-class families without federal protections. One Detroit organizer noted that for decades, corporations profited by polluting near Black neighborhoods, and now Trump’s EPA has “vastly” reversed previous environmental justice efforts.

North Baton Rouge, LA (Majority-Black)

• Canceled Grant: $20M “WE PLUG” project halted. It would have upgraded homes and trained outreach workers in Black neighborhoods. ► EPA.gov
• It also would have employed local residents to install HVAC upgrades, remediate mold, and add solar panels in underserved Black communities​epa.gov. This historic EJ investment, part of a $40M package for Louisiana​epa.gov​epa.gov, was rescinded under Zeldin’s March cuts before work could begin.
• Quote: Local housing leader: “It’s mind-boggling this is even happening.” ► LA Times

New Orleans, LA (Upper Ninth Ward, >60% Black)

• Canceled Grant: $20M to Stay Ready NOLA Inc. for solar-powered community hub and job training. ► EPA.gov
• Community Impact: Project would power 1,000 homes and train local Black residents in solar energy and emergency response to address the legacy of disinvestment in this Black district..
• Trump’s EPA included this grant on its termination list, stalling the construction of two solar farms and a stormwater-runoff-reducing hub that would have created jobs for the community.
• Local EJ organizers (like those at the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice) warn that such rollbacks amplify risk in “sacrifice zone” neighborhoods already overburdened by pollution and storms.

Port Arthur, TX (~40% Black)

• Canceled Grant: $407,600 for air pollution monitoring and energy upgrades in neighborhoods near oil refineries and improve energy efficiency for residents. ► Houston Chronicle
• Quote: John Beard Jr.: “Communities like ours have long been seen as sacrifice zones… we pay the price with our health.”
• The freeze means residents continue breathing toxic refinery emissions without promised relief. Local leaders credit allies in Congress for fighting to restore the funds, calling federal oversight “critical to our movement”.

Houston, TX (Pleasantville – Majority-Black neighborhood )

• Pleasantville, a historically the first master-planned community in the U.S. for Black Americans due to redlining on Houston’s east side, secured a federal EJ grant in 2024 to deploy air quality monitors and collect data on petrochemical pollution
• Frozen Funds: Grant awarded to ACTS (Achieving Community Tasks Successfully) for air monitoring remains in limbo as of March 2025. ► San Francisco Chronicle
• Community Impact: Project delays stall pollution sensors meant to track emissions near oil tank farms needed to hold polluters accountable, and leaving residents frustrated that promised monitoring has yet to materialize.

Mississippi Delta (MS/AR, 50–70% Black)

• Frozen Funds: $156M was awarded to Black-led community development nonprofit Hope Enterprise Corporation for solar installation under the EPA’s “Solar for All” Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to finance solar installations for low-income households across the Deep South. ► EPA.gov
• Legal Delay: Only $137K disbursed before a Trump executive order paused all IRA climate spending and as of March 2025 the funding is still delayed.. ► Reuters
• Quote: Hope Enterprise’s mission to bring rooftop solar to underserved Black rural communities – highlighted by the Biden EPA as “advancing environmental justice across Mississippi” – now awaits a legal resolution.

Memphis, TN & Birmingham, AL (64% and 69% Black)

• Delayed Grants: $8M in HUD lead hazard grants awarded in Jan. 2025 are delayed or undisbursed in cities where Black children suffer disproportionately from lead poisoning in old housing. ► HUD.gov | Shelterforce.org
• In January 2025, Memphis was awarded $2 million and Shelby County $2 million to remove lead paint hazards from over 100 homes, focusing on low-income Black neighborhoods with young children (​hud.gov)
• Birmingham’s Jefferson County also received about $4 million for lead hazard control and healthy homes.
• Quote: Local officials in Memphis fear that hundreds of Black families will remain in lead-tainted homes. Memphis mayor: “When we address lead hazards, we are protecting the health of our children.”
• Impact: Grants targeted lead paint removal from 100+ homes in low-income Black neighborhoods. (Notably, Congress already slashed HUD’s lead grant budget by 31% for 2024, and deeper cuts may follow.) Trump appointees have now froze staffing and warned of deeper budget cuts.

Beaumont–Port Arthur, TX (Golden Triangle, ~35–45% Black)

• Frozen Grant: $2.9M Community Change Grant awarded to Air Alliance Houston to train local citizens (many from Black neighborhoods near oil refineries) to influence highways, land use, and industrial permits that affect their health.. ► EPA.gov
• Quote: John Beard Jr.: “Black communities in Port Arthur and Beaumont can’t develop solutions if Washington pulls the rug out.”
• Status: Project was scheduled for Jan. 2025 launch but remains stalled.

And the list goes on…

​In addition to the previously detailed communities, several other cities and towns with significant Black populations have been impacted by the recent cancellation of environmental justice grants:​

• Gary, Indiana: Historically burdened by industrial pollution, Gary faced setbacks when funding for air quality monitoring and remediation projects was terminated. ​
• Richmond, California: Efforts to plant trees at an elementary school to improve air quality were halted due to grant terminations. ​San Francisco Chronicle
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Programs focused on reducing childhood lead poisoning and improving air quality in affordable housing units were discontinued. ​Los Angeles Times
• Also Philadelphia: The city lost a $1 million grant intended for developing a flood resilience strategy in the Eastwick neighborhood, creating an environmental justice map, and building community partnerships for planning resilience to extreme heat. ​WHYY
• Camden, New Jersey: Initiatives aimed at mitigating health risks from industrial pollution faced funding cuts, affecting predominantly Black neighborhoods. ​
• Athens, Alabama: Recent expansions of the city’s sewer lines have excluded Black households, highlighting environmental justice concerns in the area. ​

These cancellations have disrupted essential environmental and public health initiatives in predominantly Black communities, exacerbating existing disparities and hindering progress toward environmental equity.​Planet Detroit

Are White Trump voters also affected?

YES!!
The broad-brush rollback meant even white communities got hurt.
By dismantling the entire EJ infrastructure, the administration wasn’t distinguishing between “Black” and “white” poor neighborhoods — it was undoing any framework that prioritized equity, regardless of outcome. The programs were axed because of how they were designed, not necessarily who they served. The result is that some Trump voting white communities are also casualties of the anti-DEI agenda. This makes the rollback even more revealing: it wasn’t just about “fairness,” it was about dismantling a policy philosophy that centers systemic inequality.

Conclusion: What Happens Now?

The 2025 rollback of environmental justice programs under the Trump administration has left many predominantly Black communities without the federal support they were promised. From canceled solar energy investments in the Mississippi Delta to frozen lead removal programs in Memphis and gutted air quality monitoring in Houston, the consequences are immediate and deeply felt.

What makes this moment especially urgent is that these cuts didn’t just halt future plans — they disrupted initiatives already underway. These were projects designed by and for the communities most affected by pollution, flooding, and climate change. Now, those same communities are being told they must wait or go it alone.

But is it possible to continue without government help?

Where Do We Go From Here?

Build Community-Led Resilience
Local nonprofits, HBCUs, and churches can step in to fill the gap — with support from philanthropic foundations, crowdfunding, or corporate social responsibility partnerships. Groups like the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, Hope Enterprise Corporation, and ACTS in Houston already provide models.

Create Independent Funding Pipelines
Communities may need to explore new financing models — green banks, community reinvestment funds, or municipal bonds — to fund environmental repairs, solar installations, and water system upgrades without relying solely on federal dollars.

Partner Across Movements
Coalitions that include Black, Indigenous, Latino, and poor white communities facing similar cuts could strengthen advocacy. These alliances can pressure local and state governments to restore or replace canceled funds.

Vote With Purpose
Policy changes like these happen at the federal level, but their impact is felt on your block. Organizing around environmental justice and holding elected leaders accountable — from Congress to city councils — is crucial.

Educate and Stay Informed
Make sure your neighborhood knows what was cut, what was planned, and what’s still possible. Public knowledge is one of the strongest defenses against environmental neglect.