EPA is preparing to jettison one of its last vestiges of the Biden administration, a rule that sped up Freedom of Information Act requests for marginalized communities burdened with pollution.
As part of President Donald Trump’s sweep of diversity programs across the federal government, the agency is planning to ax a provision added to FOIA regulations during the previous administration. That measure granted expedited processing for requests that showed an “environmental justice-related need” for records pertaining to areas suffering from adverse health and environmental impacts.
The movement to provide relief to polluted places, often occupied by people of color and low income, has become verboten during the Trump administration. The president signed an executive order on his first day back in office to rid agencies of diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, programs, including any “environmental justice” offices and services.
Matthew Tejada, former EPA deputy assistant administrator for environmental justice, said ending the FOIA provision would cut off another avenue for ordinary people to access their government.
