Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG) was proud to join Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) and local and national climate justice leaders at an Environmental Justice Roundtable hosted at the Greater New Orleans Foundation. The discussion focused on recent harmful Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decisions—including the termination of federal grant awards and the rollback of critical environmental protections—and how we can continue to push environmental justice forward under the Trump Administration.
At the roundtable, L4GG highlighted our pending litigation against the EPA on behalf of a coalition of community organizations whose environmental justice grant agreements—totaling nearly $3 billion—were unlawfully terminated. In Louisiana alone, these cuts represent more than $60 million in funding across thirteen awards, including over $38 million for eight projects in Louisiana’s Second Congressional District. A key hearing in this case will take place on Tuesday, August 5, in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
“During the four years of the Biden administration, America made real progress in addressing environmental justice by supporting frontline communities, expanding clean air and water protections, and funding local initiatives through vital EPA environmental justice grants,” said Rep. Carter. “But now, the Trump administration is actively trying to reverse those gains... These actions are not just bad policy—it’s a direct attack on our health and our future. I was proud to convene this roundtable today, during a crucial moment in this conversation.”
On June 25, 2025, L4GG and partners filed suit against the Trump Administration for its unlawful termination of the EPA’s Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grant (ECJBG) programs. These grants were mandated by Congress through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and their termination directly undermines legally obligated support for historically overburdened communities.
The lawsuit—Appalachian Voices v. EPA—was filed by Lawyers for Good Government, Southern Environmental Law Center, Earthjustice, and Public Rights Project on behalf of nonprofits, Tribes, and local governments. The plaintiffs are seeking class action certification and preliminary relief to allow all 350 grant recipients to continue their work.
In Louisiana, those impacted include organizations like the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ) and Dillard University.
DSCEJ was awarded a grant to establish the Community Investment Recovery Center, which supports community-based organizations and Tribal communities through training, capacity building, and technical assistance.
Dillard University’s grant focused on creating community resilience hubs, expanding bike-sharing and EV charger access, reducing greenhouse gas emissions through building retrofits, launching non-degree training programs in clean energy and resilience, and strengthening climate readiness in Orleans, St. Tammany, and Washington Parishes.
“Today's roundtable with Congressman Troy A. Carter and impacted grantees was a powerful reminder of how the termination of life-saving projects continues to cause real harm to frontline communities,” said Jillian Blanchard, Vice President of Climate Change & Environmental Justice at L4GG. “The promise of clean air and clean water for all is a fundamental right that we cannot negotiate on. These grantees had guaranteed funding under a congressionally mandated program that has been unilaterally terminated by an Administration that has said that clean air, clean water, and hurricane protection are not a priority. Lawyers for Good Government will continue to fight for the restoration of funding and the justice and resources these communities deserve.”
Attendees included representatives from:
Community Foundation Climate Collaborative
The Nature Conservancy
Deep South Center for Environmental Justice
Rise St. James
Dillard University
City of New Orleans
Groundwork New Orleans
SOUL
Water Wise Gulf South
Bunny Friend Neighborhood Association
Greater Treme Consortium
GreenARMY
