Ankara: A coalition of nonprofits, Native American tribes, and local governments has taken legal action against the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in an effort to restore a $3 billion climate justice grant program that was halted by the Trump administration. The Guardian reported on Tuesday that the lawsuit seeks to compel the EPA and its administrator, Lee Zeldin, to reinstate the program and its individual grants to prevent the need for recipients to file separate lawsuits.

According to Anadolu Agency, the $3 billion Environmental and Climate Justice (ECJ) program was established by Congress through the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. It aims to aid disadvantaged communities in building resilience against climate shocks and environmental damage. Congress designed the program to provide funding for community projects across the nation to address environmental harm, such as pollution, lead pipes, flooding, and heat islands.

Under the direction of the Trump administration, the EPA began dismantling the ECJ program in February. By June, 23 grant recipients filed a lawsuit after the block grant was abruptly terminated, and funds were frozen overnight. Attorneys representing the coalition have argued for preliminary relief at the US District Court for the District of Columbia, seeking to compel the EPA to immediately reinstate the ECJ program and release the frozen funds.

A decision on whether and where the case proceeds is expected later this month, with the judge separately considering the plaintiffs' motion for class-action status. Despite the scientific community's consensus on climate change, Trump has denied the existence of global warming. Since his return to the White House for a second term in January, he has worked to dismantle climate change-related programs and remove references to it in official government documents, including websites.