Trump’s Executive Orders Unraveled Decades of Environmental Justice Efforts

Author: Tula Larsen

Editors: Clara Conry and Sonya Doubledee

The termination of EO 12898 eliminates this impact assessment of low-income minority communities in environmental health issues, as well as opportunities to participate and receive accessible information.

On January 20th, 2025, President Donald Trump was sworn into office for his second term. The Trump Administration signed over 20 Executive Orders (EOs) on that same day and reversed 78 EOs signed by Former President Joe Biden. Trump repeated his well-known “drill, baby, drill” sentiment and promised to turn the United States into the world’s largest manufacturer of oil and gas in his Inaugural Address. Consequently, it’s no surprise that dozens of the Trump Administration’s EOs suspended previously-implemented environment and energy regulations. While rampant concerns have spread about shrinking renewable energy demand and international cooperation on the climate crisis, one addressed aspect has been seemingly overlooked: The elimination of environmental justice efforts. 

“Environmental Justice” Defined

The idea of “environmental justice” was coined in the 1970s and 1980s by grassroots environmental organizations mainly based in the United States, and it later became a larger global movement led by environmental advocates. The environmental justice movement raises awareness of the idea that certain groups are disproportionately affected by environmental burdens and face greater risk of climate-related catastrophes and an increased lack of access to environmental data and public safety information. As environmental advocates have become key stakeholders in environmental legislation, a growing number of environmental policies seek to address these injustices and prioritize disadvantaged groups.

Efforts to address these injustices have included analyzing the environmental impacts of industrial facilities on their surroundings, increasing access to health services, remediating contaminated areas, and addressing the concerns of residents on environmental issues in disadvantaged communities. Environmental justice intersects with systemic racial justice issues. Issues such as heavy metal contamination, lack of access to healthy food and health care, and adverse environmental impacts are far more common in communities of color.

Through decreasing environmental justice-related workplace opportunities and reversing federal mandates for protecting low-income communities, the Trump Administration’s EOs reversed decades of progress that environmental and racial justice achieved. Three of these mandates and their implications are listed below. 

Abolished Environmental Justice Offices and Positions Through DEI Programs 

In his EO titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing”, the Trump Administration ordered the extermination of all programs related to “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) or “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility” (DEIA). The Administration labeled DEI and DEIA programs as “discrimination programs” that “demonstrated immense public waste”. DEI and DEIA programs were created to foster a non-discriminatory environment in the workplace and increase workplace production by enforcing the fair treatment of underrepresented groups. 

In addition to cutting DEI and DEIA programs, the EO requires the termination of all positions, offices, and services titled or related to “environmental justice”. Notably, this will impact the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Office of Environmental Justice, which provided federal grants and resources to environmentally disadvantaged communities. This will also impact thousands of positions and organizations seeking to raise funds and awareness for these communities across the United States. 

Without the enforcement of environmental justice positions and services, the continued nationwide spread of the environmental justice movement is put at risk. This EO also harms the amplification of the greater justice movement; a decrease of DEI and DEIA programs will lead to a decrease in inclusive spaces and accountability in the workplace.

Termination of EO 12898 – Actions to Address Minority and Low-Income Populations

Similar to the termination of DEI programs, the Trump Administration’s EO titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” terminated Former President Bill Clinton’s previous EO 12898, “Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations”. 

Established in 1994, this order required federal actions in low-income and minority communities to be evaluated by their environmental and health impacts. This served to decrease the environmental health effects disproportionately impacting marginalized communities and influenced public perception on the importance of  environmental justice. The order also required the implementation of a federal environmental justice strategy, and allowed participation for low-income minorities.. Finally, an Interagency Working Group (IWG) on environmental justice was established and led by the EPA Administrator and 11 heads of federal agencies, departments, and White House officials.

The termination of EO 12898 eliminates this impact assessment of low-income minority communities in environmental health issues, as well as opportunities to participate and receive accessible information. The representation of minority communities is vital to ensure just and effective policy solutions. Absent representation, minority communities are vulnerable to being further overlooked and devalued in the political realm.

Unleashing American Energy

Arguably one of the Trump Administration’s most impactful EOs is titled “Unleashing American Energy”. In addition to establishing America’s oil and gas independence goals, this EO revokes 12 previous EOs related to clean energy, public health, and the climate crisis, many of which establish their own offices and positions to mitigate these issues.

In particular, this revokes EO 14096, titled “Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All”,  enacted by the Biden Administration in 2023. This order produced workforce training opportunities for communities affected by or concerned about environmental justice issues. 

The order also revokes EO 14008, titled “Tackling the Climate Crisis At Home and Abroad”. EO 14008 notably required coal and power plant communities to consult with environmental justice organizations to evaluate their goals and directives and established an IWG on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization. The order also implemented a White House Environmental Justice Interagency Council. The council, which crafted a modern environmental injustice strategy, created accountability performance metrics, and released an annual scorecard on public performance on environmental justice issues.  

“Unleashing American Energy” will further reverse environmental justice accountability mechanisms, expediting the processes of fossil fuel permitting and manufacturing. Fossil fuel sites may pose potential health risks for disproportionately impacted communities from the air pollutants released by fuel production. These health risks include neurological issues, lung cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and reproductive issues, which affect communities of color at greater rates. When fossil fuel companies aren’t held accountable, communities of color and lower socio-economic statuses will face the consequences. 

Bipartisan grassroots justice efforts across communities will help continue to ensure the visibility and nationwide support of disadvantaged communities.

Conclusion: Could This Mean Environmental Justice Efforts Will Be Completely Erased?

While numerous necessary environmental regulations were reversed, including equitable workplace opportunity mandates, accountability measures, and increased information accessibility requirements, environmental justice can still be achieved at a smaller-scale, grassroots level over the next four years. Bipartisan grassroots justice efforts across communities will help continue to ensure the visibility and nationwide support of disadvantaged communities.