EPA national Environmental Justice office eliminated
Enacted5/10
Federal · EPA reorganization and RIF · Mar 12, 2025
Impact 5/10
On March 12, 2025, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin ordered the closure of the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights and the environmental justice divisions in all ten regional offices, after EPA placed 171 environmental justice and DEIA employees on administrative leave in February. The offices were eliminated and affected staff were later terminated in reductions in force, ending the agency's dedicated infrastructure for addressing pollution disparities in low-income and minority communities.
Safety net & benefitsEnvironment & energyEconomy & tradeWorking-age adultsSeniors (65+)ChildrenLow-incomeRural residentsImmigrants
Sources
✓ Verified against primary sources 2026-08-16