Environmental justice (EJ) is about fairness and access to a healthy and safe environment for all people. The Trump administration has disrupted and disbanded EJ initiatives including funding, research, and projects. Yet, this important work has and must continue. 🧵
Thirteen State Attorney’s General wrote guidance in response to these attacks affirming the legality of EJ initiatives, “The federal actions attacking environmental justice have created concerns about—but do not impact—the continued legality and importance of environmental justice efforts.”
As Marianne Engelman-Lado from NYU Law wrote, “These actions remain legal and necessary. They are common sense in a world where we care what happens to our family members and our neighbors.”
To the Trump admin’s falsehoods about the legality of EJ initiatives, she responds: “However, as the Multi-State Guidance points out, the fact that the President signs an executive order calling policies and practices “illegal” does not make it true. Presidents cannot legislate by sharpie pen.”
EJ initiatives benefit all, not a few: “We should all be able to agree that neither race, nor income, nor a person’s zip code should be related to their exposure to pollution or the likelihood of serious illness and death. But that is still the world in which we live.”
The Multi-State Guidance encourages all of us to continue to “develop and pursue environmental justice initiatives” and outlines key areas of work that we can lawfully pursue to advance environmental and climate justice. UCS will continue to advocate for a healthy and safe environment for all.