Zeldin’s EPA Spin Is Full of Myths — Here’s the Reality
As EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin prepares to appear before Congress, his public claims unravel under the weight of the facts.
As Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin prepares to testify before Congress this Wednesday — where he’s expected to downplay the real-world harm caused by his actions — his recent op-ed in the New York Post and public announcements offer a preview of the misinformation to come. Zeldin claims the Trump administration is cracking down on so-called “environmental justice scams” and refocusing on “real threats to water and air,” all under the banner of fiscal responsibility. But the reality looks very different. Under his leadership, EPA is systematically dismantling nearly core clean air and water protections, giving polluters a free pass while communities are left to bear the consequences. Here’s what Zeldin says — and what the facts actually show.
Zeldin’s Claim: Public Health Will Be Fine Without Health Protections
Zeldin confidently asserts that the Trump administration’s plan to gut 31 public health safeguards have “absolutely” no adverse health effects on people.
The Truth: Just 12 of the 31 environmental rollbacks proposed by the Trump administration could cause nearly 200,000 premature deaths in the next 25 years and trigger more than 10,000 asthma attacks every single day. These rollbacks include weakening mercury and air toxics limits for coal plants, limits for chemical air pollution from factories, and gutting wastewater protections for oil and gas operations. The estimates come from the Environmental Protection Network, a group of former EPA officials sounding the alarm on the deadly consequences of dismantling basic public health safeguards.
Zeldin’s Claim: Eliminating ‘Environmental Justice’ Grants Is Justified
Zeldin criticized environmental justice initiatives, labeling them as “scams” and accusing them of misusing taxpayer money. He points to grants awarded to organizations like the Climate United Fund, which received nearly $7 billion despite being newly established.
The Truth: Getting rid of environmental justice programs takes away one of the few tools people have to stand up to pollution in their neighborhoods. (Even House Speaker Mike Johnson sought an environmental justice grant for his Louisiana district). Research shows that low-income communities and communities of color are much more likely to breathe toxic air, live near factories, highways, and waste sites — places where the air is harder to breathe and the water isn’t always safe to drink. These programs have long helped remedy those unfair conditions by reducing disparities between who has access to clean air, clean water, and a safe place to live, across the nation.
Zeldin’s Claim: Cutting Health Protections Will Drive Economic Growth
Zeldin and the Trump administration claim that stripping away environmental safeguards will jumpstart economic growth, especially in industries like energy and manufacturing. They argue that removing so-called “regulatory burdens” will lead to job creation and more investment — even if it means loosening protections that keep air and water clean.
The Truth: Pollution doesn’t just harm our health — it drives up healthcare costs, leads to missed work, and leaves taxpayers with the cleanup bill. And despite what some claim, it’s not necessarily good for the economy. An Earthjustice review of federal data shows that 14 major metro areas grew their economies while cutting pollution — including Dallas, Cleveland, Atlanta, and Detroit, to name just four. Clean air protections don’t hold us back, they help communities thrive. And in places already struggling financially, more pollution only makes people sicker and harder for them to get ahead.
Zeldin’s Claim: Firing Staff and Reorganizing the EPA Will Improve Efficiency
While Zeldin was firing hundreds of EPA employees, he also announced a major reorganization of the agency — including the creation of new offices focused on air partnerships, clean air programs, and applied science. He claims these changes will enhance transparency and efficiency
The Truth: Restructuring the EPA while slashing its workforce and budget undermines the very efficiency Zeldin claims to promote. Pushing out experienced staff and cutting funding weakens the agency’s ability to protect public health and the environment. It also limits the EPA’s ability to enforce clean air and water protections or hold corporations accountable when they pollute. At a time when pollution, chemical exposure, and climate threats are growing, hollowing out the EPA makes it less effective — not more.
Administrator Zeldin’s claims about the benefits of gutting protections and scrapping community-focused programs fall apart under even the briefest scrutiny. These moves don’t make us safer — they endanger lives and threaten decades of hard-won gains on public health. But Earthjustice isn’t standing by. We’re fighting alongside communities across the country to protect clean air, safe water, and a healthy future from Zeldin, the Trump administration, and corporate polluters.
Earthjustice’s Washington, D.C., office works at the federal level to prevent air and water pollution, combat climate change, and protect natural areas. We also work with communities in the Mid-Atlantic region and elsewhere to address severe local environmental health problems, including exposures to dangerous air contaminants in toxic hot spots, sewage backups and overflows, chemical disasters, and contamination of drinking water. The D.C. office has been in operation since 1978.
