The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has canceled a $50 million grant to the Climate Justice Alliance (CJA), a grassroots environmental group that had been targeted by conservative attacks after advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza and expressing support for a "free Palestine". The grant was part of the Biden administration's signature climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act.

The CJA was one of 11 "grantmakers" selected by the EPA in 2023 to distribute subgrants for locally led environmental projects. The organization was responsible for distributing funds to EPA regions 8-10, which covers most of the Western US, and was also the national grantmaker responsible for outreach to tribal communities. However, after facing criticism for its stance on Palestine, the EPA has revoked the grant, citing no official reason.

The CJA had already spent $1.6 million from its own operational budget to prepare for the grant program, which was intended to support projects that protect public health and safety, as well as create sustainable economic opportunities for jobs. The organization's executive director, KD Chavez, expressed disappointment and frustration at the EPA's decision, stating that the program would have benefited taxpayers and working-class families.

The EPA's grantmaking program was designed to make it easier for funding to reach communities living with the most pollution, which are often communities of color in the United States. The CJA includes around 100 grassroots organizations across the US, including the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program and the Indigenous Environmental Network. The organization's stance on Palestine had sparked a backlash, with a group of federal workers writing an open letter last year signaling that the CJA had been singled out as a result.

The cancellation of the grant is seen as a blow to the environmental community, particularly communities of color who are disproportionately affected by pollution. The Biden administration had attempted to release a majority of the funding from the Inflation Reduction Act before Donald Trump, who had promised to rescind unspent funds, took office. However, the EPA ultimately sent funding to every other EPA grantmaker in the program except for the CJA.

The Trump administration has been working to dismantle programs that deal with climate change or the disproportionate health burdens many communities of color face from pollution. The EPA has placed around 170 employees in the Office of Environmental Justice on administrative leave, and is also trying to block other pots of Biden-era climate and clean energy funding, including $20 billion for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund created by the IRA.

The cancellation of the grant has sparked outrage among environmental activists, who see it as a political move to punish the CJA for its stance on Palestine. The incident highlights the challenges faced by environmental organizations that take a strong stance on social justice issues, and raises concerns about the politicization of environmental funding.

In a statement, the CJA said that the Biden administration and the EPA had broken their promises to frontline communities, and that the cancellation of the grant was a setback for environmental justice. The incident serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for environmental justice and the need for organizations to stand firm in the face of political pressure.