Press Releases

After it was reported that the Trump Administration plans to eliminate the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Interior and Environment Subcommittee, released the following statement:

The EPA’s decision to eliminate all environmental justice offices and positions, just weeks after laying off hundreds of staff, is yet another blow to this vital agency—at a time when its resources and expertise are needed more than ever. 

By eliminating the agency’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, the Administration is making it crystal clear it does not believe in protecting human health and the environment for all people in the United States. Or ensuring compliance with civil rights laws. Or making grant funding more equitable. Or supporting communities in developing solutions to environmental concerns and energy independence. To the Trump-Musk Administration, these protections and rights are nothing but a waste of time and money. 

The determination to reduce staff at the Office of Mission Support (OMS)—which plays a critical role in the agency’s ability to function—is also deeply troubling. In addition to EPA illegally freezing billions of dollars in funding for grants and projects that Congress already approved,  the agency has also been canceling grants, creating confusion and uncertainty in communities throughout the country—including right here in Maine. Downsizing the OMS will only add to the chaos. 

The EPA is one of the most important and transformative agencies ever created. To see it be dismantled like this—all so Republicans get their billionaire tax cuts—is absolutely enraging. 

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