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By Farah Siddigi
February 21, 2025
The Trump administration has begun dismantling the Environmental Protection Agency’s office working to reducing environmental harms in minority and low-income communities.
More than 160 staffers in the Office of Environmental Justice and Civil Rights have been placed on paid administrative leave.
Adrienne Hollis, vice president of environmental justice, health and community resilience and revitalization for the National Wildlife Federation, said the office plays a crucial role in coordinating environmental protection efforts, including in Ohio, where many communities face challenges.
“Some communities may file a complaint about the fact that, given the contamination they’re exposed to, there may be issues that violate the Civil Rights Act,” Hollis explained. “Just as the air group, you need a focal point.”
The office was first created by former President George H.W. Bush in 1992. Since 2014, the EPA has conducted more than 300 reviews of civil rights compliance, including cases in Ohio examining pollution and environmental disparities in cities like Cleveland and Cincinnati.
On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aiming to disband environmental justice offices across the federal government. The administration has also removed a decades-old tool used to track environmental burdens across the country.
Hollis noted the cuts will have the most severe effects on communities already overburdened by pollution, including those in Ohio.
“It’s going to affect the ability of communities and advocates and activists to really focus on these specific environmental outcomes that are related to systemic racism,” Hollis emphasized. “They’re place-based, they’re based on race, and they’re exacerbated by climate change.”
The Department of Justice also put all environmental litigation on hold. The administration argued the actions fulfill Trump’s campaign promises to shrink the federal government. However, environmental advocates in Ohio warned the rollbacks could worsen pollution in areas like the Mahoning Valley, where residents have long fought for stronger environmental protections.