Biden-Harris Administration Faces Backlash Over EPA Grant Allocations

The Biden-Harris administration is facing criticism for allocating $400 million in Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants to groups affiliated with its own environmental justice council. Four key organizations—WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Texas Southern University’s Bullard Center for Environmental & Climate Justice, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, and Kean University’s Center for the Urban Environment—received $229 million in direct EPA grants and are partners in distributing another $200 million.

These organizations, represented on the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, play a crucial role in advising the administration on addressing environmental injustice. The council is housed within the EPA, creating potential conflicts of interest as it oversees the distribution of significant funding to its own members.

The groups have also been supported by prominent figures such as Mike Bloomberg and Jeff Bezos, whose contributions through their respective initiatives have bolstered these organizations. This financial backing, combined with the substantial EPA grants, raises questions about the integrity of the grant allocation process.

The grants are part of the EPA’s “thriving communities” program, which aims to delegate environmental justice funding decisions to local organizations. WE ACT for Environmental Justice was granted $10 million to distribute locally and was involved in coordinating $50 million awarded to Fordham University. The Bullard Center received $50 million and an additional $156 million for solar projects in low-income areas. The Deep South Center was awarded $13 million and helped oversee $100 million given to Research Triangle Institute.

Steve Milloy, a senior legal fellow at the Energy & Environment Legal Institute, criticized the grants, arguing that environmental justice lacks a factual basis and suggesting the funding represents political corruption.

The EPA’s new Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, established in 2022, is currently without a leader, adding to the controversy surrounding the grant distribution process. This office is responsible for overseeing environmental justice grants, and its lack of leadership complicates the administration of these funds.

EPA spokesman Remmington Belford defended the grants, stating that all recipients must comply with federal laws and that the grants are awarded based on stringent competition policies. However, the connections between the grant recipients and the White House council members continue to draw scrutiny and raise concerns about transparency and accountability.