Republican Attorneys General request Zeldin to terminate financial aid for a judicial instructional program

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has cancelled two grants to the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) that were focused on environmental justice and climate mitigation earlier this year. The grants, which were a part of the EPA's ongoing actions regarding grants to climate and environmental programs, were provided to the EPA by the Environmental Law Institute.

The EPA Administrator, Lee Zeldin, has been seeking to cancel billions of dollars in grants to climate and environmental programs. The cancellation of the grants to the ELI is a part of Zeldin's efforts in this regard.

The canceled grants were focused on addressing environmental justice issues and climate mitigation. The ELI is a legal education organization that provides courses on climate science to judges. The Climate Judiciary Project, a part of the ELI, is being criticized by oil and gas industry allies for allegedly trying to influence judges to make climate change policy through the courts.

The request to stop federal grants to the ELI is not only a move by Republican officials to influence judicial proceedings on climate change, but also seen as an escalation against local government efforts to hold oil and gas companies accountable for climate change effects.

A coalition of 23 Republican attorneys general has asked the EPA to stop federal grants to the Environmental Law Institute. The letter, sent to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin on Tuesday, is linked to opposition against environmental regulations, and the related organization had two ELI grants for environmental justice and climate resilience revoked in 2023 due to controversies around their activities.

The canceled grants were a part of the EPA's actions this year, and their cancellation has sparked debates about the role of the EPA in promoting environmental justice and addressing climate change. The EPA and the ELI have not yet issued official statements regarding the cancellation of the grants.