Judge Temporarily Blocks EPA From Canceling Climate Grants

EPA administrator Lee Zeldin said he will not rest ‘until these hard-earned taxpayer dollars are returned to the U.S. Treasury.’

Lee Zeldin speaks during his Senate confirmation hearing in Washington on Jan. 16, 2025. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

A federal judge on March 18 blocked the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from terminating grants that were part of a $20 billion climate funding program created by the previous administration.

In a 23-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a temporary restraining order to prevent the EPA from terminating grants awarded to three environmental groups—Climate United, Coalition for Green Capital, and Power Forward Communities—and block Citibank from transferring the funds back to the government.