A coalition of grassroots environmental groups could lose $60 million in federal funding after calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Climate Justice Coalition (CJA) was Name More than a year ago, one of the Environmental Protection Agency's “grant makers”, it was made in charge of distributing subgrants for locally led environmental projects. But of EPA's 11 grantees, CJA is the only one that has not yet received any funding. The group has faced a pressure attack To publicly oppose the Israel–Hamas war, and for some EPA staff Say that the group has been separated as a result.
“We are very disappointed to see the current state of EPA $60 million blocked for Climate Justice Alliance (CJA)A group of anonymous EPA and Energy Department employees wrote in a letter, the only one of eleven grantees that spoke out boldly against the environmental toll and human rights violations in Palestine. open letter In December.
It could disappear if the money is not distributed before President-elect Donald Trump steps into office.
It could disappear if the money is not distributed before President-elect Donald Trump steps into office. Trump has said he would cancel Unspent funds from the Inflation Reduction Act that set aside money for grants. And if his second term is anything like his first, it's likely abolish the epa And take back environmental protection,
With a regulatory agenda at the national level, Local efforts become even more important To protect Americans' air, water, and climate. This is the kind of grassroots initiative that EPA grantees should support and what is at risk if the agency does not distribute the funds before it is too late.
“What this will do is further take away the money that our communities are relying on,” says CJA Executive Director KD Chavez. Giving examples of how the money could be used, Chávez says, “We need to give people resources so that at least locally they can do cleanup projects, they can have air quality monitoring.”
Money for EPA's Environmental Justice Thriving Communities grantmaking program came from the Inflation Reduction Act, which included $369 billion For clean energy and climate action. The 11 grantees include universities and non-profit organizations charged with providing a total of $600 million to locally led environmental projects.
had to make it Access to funding becomes easier for small grassroots groupsEspecially those who are living with the most pollution, which are often communities of color in the United StatesCJA includes nearly 100 organizations across the US, many of them rooted in communities of color, such as the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program and the Indigenous Environmental Network.
CJA, specifically, was selected to distribute the subgrant in EPA Regions 8-10, which covers most of the western US. It is also the national grant maker responsible for outreach to tribal communities. CJA says it has already spent $1.6 million from its operating budget to create the organizational infrastructure needed to allow community groups to apply for subgrants. It expects to receive $50 million for those subgrants, plus an additional $10 million for technical capacity.
“Why have we been singled out as anti-American?”
As of Jan. 3, only $461 million in funding had been awarded from the grant program, according to the data EPA websiteleaving the remaining amount vulnerable For the incoming Trump administration.
“We have some questions about isolating us as an organization. Why have we been singled out as anti-American? Is it because we are led by working-class people, Black Indigenous peoples and people of color?” Chavez says.
Over the past year, conservative media and some Republican lawmakers have criticized the CJA.particles, anti SemiticAnd “anti-americaFor his stance on the Israel–Hamas war. Even before EPA announced its selection of 11 grantees, CJA did so issued a statement President Joe Biden and Congress are called upon by Israel and Hamas to seek a ceasefire in October 2023.
“I was surprised to learn that $50 million has been designated for the Climate Justice Alliance, a group that apparently publishes a 'Free Palestine' section on its website. On the website, there are dozens of anti-Semitic and disturbing images,'' Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC) told former EPA Administrator Michael Regan when Testified before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee last July. (Regan stepped down from his post in december,
CJA has published this ceasefire statement On its website. “We call on Biden and the US Congress to support an immediate end to the violence by publicly calling for a ceasefire within the region. “We stand firmly in favor of peace and support the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, decolonization and life,” the statement said.
“At our core, CJA has always been anti-war and supportive of communities,” says Chávez. He adds, “We are merely collateral damage in the war against norms.”
The group has also faced criticism for its environmental advocacy. A Letter Representatives Kathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Buddy Carter (R-GA) and Regan last May accused CJA of supporting “partisan, and in some cases extreme, environmental activism”, including “Climate Alarm protests “Large scale organization” was also included. “The Lawsuit of Fossil Fuel Projects.” The letter similarly condemns other grantees chosen by the EPA, but CJA has faced more heat as protests in the US against the war in Gaza have intensified.
Letter Published (first reported) by EPA and DOE staff last month. By blocking) urges agencies to “kill themselves.” cooperation with israel until a permanent ceasefire is reached” and “all designated federal funds are released to the Climate Justice Coalition.” It says funding is needed for indigenous communities and other groups that have historically been protected from environmental protection. are “abandoned”.
According to Chávez, EPA told CJA at a meeting in September that it was being investigated by the agency's Office of General Counsel (OGC) without explanation. The group says the agency's Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights then told the group to expect funding by January 6 — even though grantees initially anticipated they would be able to begin awarding subgrants. summer 2024,
EPA did not confirm CJA's claims or answer specific questions. The Verge Regarding CJA's investigation. “EPA continues to review grants to the Climate Justice Coalition,” EPA spokesman Nick Conger said in an email. The Verge“EPA continues to work through its rigorous process to obligate funds under the Inflation Reduction Act, including the Thriving Communities Grantmakers Program.” The agency is “on track” to deliver more than 90 percent of the funding by the end of the Biden administration, Conger said.
When? The Verge Last year the EPA was asked how it chose grantmakers As for the program, Regan said in a call with reporters that each of them “demonstrated a very strong governance structure that creates accountability” and that the agency selected the 11 “knowing that they can spend these resources in this way.” “We will be able to operate from the community that needs these resources most, they will be found.”