Maryland officials say they’re worried President Donald Trump’s attacks on environmental justice programs will leave scar tissue that outlasts his administration.
Years of work to engage marginalized communities has been upended, state officials said Monday. While state funding can compensate for losses like nixed federal subsidies, they said, there’s no substitute for broken promises to groups that already were leery of government programs.
“We can only move at the speed of trust,” said Cat Goughnour, assistant secretary of Just Communities at the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, which helps administer the state’s environmental justice programs.
Since Trump returned to the White House, his administration has taken aim at diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Environmental justice efforts have been caught up in that campaign, which includes the prosecution of advocates working against inequitable pollution.
