Progress

(Temporary?) end of an era

Stephen Green, via InstaPundit

MAN, DID I EVER VOTE FOR THIS: EPA canceling nearly 800 environmental justice grants.

In a filing that was entered last week but first reported by The Washington Post Tuesday, a high-ranking EPA employee states that the agency has already told 377 grantees that their awards were canceled.

The agency plans to send cancellation notifications to an additional 404 — meaning a total of 781 grants are being canceled, said the filing, a declaration from Daniel Coogan, the EPA’s Deputy Assistant Administrator for Infrastructure and Extramural Resources.

The grants are primarily related to programs that deal with environmental justice — that is, dealing with pollution in communities that face disproportionate impacts and have limited resources. This includes low-income and minority communities.

The Trump administration has targeted environmental justice programs — firing 280 staffers and reassigning another 175 who worked on the issue, saying it’s part of a broader effort against diversity initiatives.

It’s all just slush funds and payouts for progressive groups.

And from IntsPundit’s comments:

“This is an unfair characterization. It also helps discourage development of new industries while keeping local populations poor and dependent.”