Sustain Charlotte’s statement on the elimination of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice

We are appalled and deeply troubled by the Trump administration’s decision to place 168 employees of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Environmental Justice on administrative leave, a move that signals the imminent dismantling of the office itself. The elimination of this critical program is an attack on the health and well-being of communities that have long borne the brunt of pollution and environmental harm.

For decades, the Office of Environmental Justice has played a vital role in ensuring that all Americans—especially those in historically marginalized communities—have access to clean air, safe water, and protection from toxic pollution. Environmental justice is not a partisan issue; it is a fundamental human right. This office was created under a Republican administration, reinforced by bipartisan efforts over the years, and strengthened under the Biden administration to address the urgent needs of vulnerable communities.

The Trump administration’s claim that this work is “radical” and “wasteful” ignores the reality that environmental injustice has led to generations of harm—children suffering from asthma due to industrial air pollution, families drinking contaminated water, and entire neighborhoods being disproportionately exposed to hazardous waste. Rolling back environmental justice programs does not make pollution disappear; it simply leaves those with the fewest resources to suffer in silence.

North Carolina has a deep history in the environmental justice movement, beginning with the protests in Warren County that helped bring national attention to this issue. Sustain Charlotte stands in solidarity with all those fighting to protect environmental justice, and we refuse to let this decision go unchallenged.

We call on elected officials, businesses, community leaders, and residents to speak out against this reckless action. We urge Congress to use its oversight powers to protect the EPA’s ability to fulfill its core mission: safeguarding the environment and public health for all Americans.

Environmental justice is justice. And we will not stand by while it is erased.