Federal Environmental Justice Tracker

EJ Tracker Update

Rollback: DOJ Terminated First-Ever Office of Environmental Justice, Rescinded Joint EJ Enforcement Strategy with EPA

Last updated:

February 5, 2025

Authority

Executive Order

Agencies

DOJ, EPA

Actions

Agency Structure, Rollback

In early February, DOJ’s Office of Environmental Justice was terminated, and the five civil servants working in the office were reportedly put on administrative leave.  On Feb. 5, 2025 the Attorney General issued a memorandum rescinding the agency’s May 2022 comprehensive environmental justice enforcement strategy. The related annual reports are no longer available on DOJ’s website (see below for permalinked resources).

Background

On May 5, 2022, DOJ announced the launch of the first-ever Office of Environmental Justice within the Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), which “support[ed] [EJ] investigations and litigation and facilitate[d] outreach by [DOJ] to communities with environmental justice concerns.” On the same day, the agency released its “comprehensive environmental justice enforcement strategy,” developed in partnership with the EPA and pursuant to President Biden’s Executive Order 14008. The strategy was issued to guide DOJ’s litigations, investigators, and the actions of U.S. Attorneys nationwide in enforcing federal environmental laws.

Consistent with that strategy, U.S. Attorney Offices appointed Environmental Justice coordinators to address environmental justice concerns brought to the offices. Strategies varied from office to office. For example:

DOJ’s Office of EJ released its first-ever Comprehensive EJ Enforcement Strategy Annual ReportOct. 13, 2023. The report detailed actions across the DOJ to address EJ concerns and engage communities overburdened by pollution. It included enforcement actions undertaken by the Civil Division, Civil Rights Division, Environmental and Natural Resources Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.

The Office released the Second Annual Comprehensive EJ Enforcement Strategy Report on Dec. 1, 2024.