Appalachian Voices v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

A coalition of 15 nonprofits, one Tribe, and seven local governments filed a class action lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s termination of the Environmental and Climate Justice (ECJ) Block Grant programs.

Public Rights Project, Earthjustice, the Southern Environmental Law Center, and Lawyers for Good Government filed the lawsuit on behalf of ECJ grant recipients. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shut down $2.8 billion in grants that Congress had told the agency to make. This lawsuit argues the EPA violated the Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act.

We’re asking the court to order the EPA to reverse its decision, which would restore the program nationwide. Without this funding, projects that reduce pollution, increase climate resilience, and build community capacity to tackle environmental harms in communities most at risk.

Read the lawsuit.

Update:

On June 27, 2025, the coalition asked the court for a preliminary injunction, requesting that the EPA immediately reinstate the grant program, resume grant disbursement, and release previously withheld funds.

We’re also asking the court to ensure the EPA notifies grantees about their grant status and provide a status report demonstrating its compliance with the order.

At the same time, we filed a motion to certify this case as a class action. This allows Public Rights Project and our legal partners to represent a larger group of plaintiffs who have been affected, not just those currently named in the case.

Read the request.