Key Takeaways:
– Environmental justice advisors from Biden-Harris administration set to receive almost half a billion dollar funding.
– Six environmental justice organizations on the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council have won or will receive over $230 million in Environmental Protection Agency grant funding.
– The Texas Southern University (TSU) Bullard Center secured a $50 million and another $156 million award for developing community solar projects.
– Accusations of conflict of interest surround grant holders.
– The era of President Trump saw attempts to roll back the agendas of the current administration.
Billion-Dollar Boost for Environmental Advocacy
Advisors to the Biden-Harris administration’s environmental justice body, the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC), are on track to receive or influence nearly half a billion dollars. This sum, ultimately distributed as grants from the agencies they provide advice to, comes primarily from the $41.5 billion provided to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Inflation Reduction Act.
Sector-Focused Funding
Six environmental justice groups represented on the WHEJAC are projected to receive more than $230 million in EPA grant funding. Furthermore, four organizations within the WHEJAC have been selected to share in $200 million through grants awarded under the EPA’s Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking (EJTCG) program. This fund forms a substantial part of the EPA’s broader $600 million allotment.
Major Wins for Climate Justice in Texas
Making significant strides in the fight for environmental justice, the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice, a part of Texas Southern University (TSU) and represented by Robert Bullard on the WHEJAC, has won substantial grant awards. The Bullard Center was named as the recipient of a $50 million award in December 2023 through the EPA’s EJTCG program. Following this, in April, the EPA allocated an additional $156 million to the Bullard Center. The purpose assigned to these funds is the development of community solar projects catering to low-income and disadvantaged communities, as part of the larger $7 billion Solar for All program of the IRA.
Accusations of Conflicts of Interest
These large allocations of funding have stirred up accusations of conflicts of interest, as the grant recipients are also those providing policy advice. Critics suggest that this could skew objectivity and unfairly favor these organizations in grant considerations.
In October 2023, the EPA announced additional, smaller awards to several environmental justice organisations represented on the WHEJAC. They confirmed that assigned funds have been given to the designated recipients.
Bridges to Vice Presidency
WHEJAC has reportedly found an ally in Vice President Kamala Harris. Since the inception of the Biden-Harris administration, she has courted its advisors. The council has produced a string of recommendations including oppositions to fossil fuel procurement, nuclear power, and highway expansion among other left-leaning proposals. The support has reciprocated, as several influential WHEJAC members leading awarded organizations have publicly endorsed Harris’ campaign for presidency.
The Old vs. The New
These decisions contrast with those of the previous administration. Under President Trump, the EPA made attempts to ban EPA grant recipients from serving on the agency’s advisory boards. If Trump prevails in the upcoming elections, the current administration’s environmental agenda, including stringent rules on new electric vehicle sales and the power sector may be rolled back, as promised by Trump and his advisors.
Backlashes and Opposition
While the WHEJAC continues to advance left-leaning environmental policies, it also receives flak from critics who believe that these policies harm the economic stability of low-income and minority communities.
Final Note
The paradigm of environmental justice and advocacy sees a flux between the conservative approach of the Trump administration and the more liberal approach of the Biden-Harris administration. With half a billion dollars pumped into the sector, the trajectory of environmental policy and practice promises interesting developments in the near future.