HOUSTON – Air Alliance Houston, a local environmental nonprofit, has joined 22 other organizations in a class action lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s decision to terminate Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant programs.
The lawsuit argues that the cancellation of these programs was illegal and seeks to restore $3 billion in environmental and climate justice funding.
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The EPA’s Environmental and Climate Justice grant programs, established under the Inflation Reduction Act, supported 350 projects nationwide aimed at protecting communities from pollution and the impacts of shifting weather patters. These grants supported initiatives like pollution monitoring, public education, and advocacy efforts that empower residents to learn more about environmental policies.
Air Alliance Houston planned to use its $3.1 million grant to expand its “Air Mail” program, which alerts residents when companies apply for pollution permits near their neighborhoods.
“Here in Houston – one of the most polluted cities in the country – our grant would have helped people who live day-to-day with air pollution to have a meaningful say in the environmental decisions that affect their lives. Now, communities like ours will not receive the critical support needed to make change, support that we legally and contractually received,” said Executive Director of Air Alliance Houston, Jennifer M. Hadayia.
The lawsuit contends that the Trump administration violated federal law by terminating congressionally mandated funding without proper authority. According to legal documents, there was no basis for cancellation as grant recipients had followed all requirements and maintained compliance with their agreements.
“The President has no constitutional power to unilaterally withhold funds appropriated by Congress, much less based on policies that conflict with what Congress specified,” the lawsuit argues.
The class action lawsuit, filed by Earthjustice, seeks to reinstate all grant funding to continue supporting community-based environmental projects.
