States fill EJ gaps

New York is putting more environmental-justice money through state channels as federal enforcement priorities shift. (dec.ny.gov, epa.gov) On April 21, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said it awarded about $6 million in Environmental Justice Community Impact Grants to 32 community-based organizations. The agency also opened another $7 million round of funding, with applications due July 1, 2026. (dec.ny.gov, dec.ny.gov) The grants pay for local projects aimed at pollution, health hazards, outreach and education in neighborhoods the state identifies as overburdened by climate and environmental harms. New York’s Office of Environmental Justice says eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) nonprofits and Tribal organizations serving environmental-justice or disadvantaged communities. (dec.ny.gov, dec.ny.gov) At the federal level, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency kept its 2024-2027 national enforcement list in place, but on March 12, 2025 told staff to implement those priorities under new executive orders and Administrator Lee Zeldin’s agenda. EPA also said it would revise enforcement so it does not rely on race or socioeconomic status as environmental-justice factors. (epa.gov, epa.gov) That leaves states with more room to define what environmental justice looks like in practice. New York says its Office of Environmental Justice handles grants, enforcement of environmental laws and regulations, consultation and public participation across the agency. (dec.ny.gov) The state has been building that machinery for years. The department said this week that it is marking 20 years of environmental-justice grantmaking and has awarded more than $25 million for 289 projects since 2006, including about $17 million through the Community Impact Grant program. (dec.ny.gov) New York has also tied those programs to its broader climate law. The state says disadvantaged-community criteria finalized on March 27, 2023 guide agency decisions under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which requires at least 35% of clean-energy and efficiency investment benefits, with a goal of 40%, to reach disadvantaged communities. (dec.ny.gov) EPA still lists six national enforcement priorities, including drinking water, chemical accident risk reduction, PFAS contamination, coal ash and cleaner air for communities. But the most immediate dollars and day-to-day compliance work for many neighborhoods now sit with state grant programs and state-run environmental-justice offices that can still fund projects, review permits and press local enforcement. (epa.gov, dec.ny.gov)