The Trump administration is moving to cancel tens of millions of dollars in grants that support scientists focused on researching the environmental hazards impacting children in rural America. Internal communications from senior officials at the Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.) have revealed that these cuts also include studies on “forever chemicals” found in the food supply and other significant health risks.
As part of an ongoing effort to dismantle certain core functions of the E.P.A., this cancellation of research funding could have serious implications for children's health. Among the programs targeted for termination are grants designed to help improve health outcomes for children exposed to agricultural pesticides, pollution, and wildfire smoke.
In an internal email from Dan Coogan, a deputy assistant administrator at the E.P.A., dated April 15, it was stated that leadership has directed the cancellation of all pending and active grants within various essential programs. This includes the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, which funds vital environmental research, and the People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) program that supports college students in developing innovative environmental solutions.
The latest year of funding had allowed students to work on projects like antiviral face masks created from plastic waste and fully compostable packaging solutions. The email highlighted that the agency had been instructed to terminate grants related to these significant initiatives, indicating a shift in the administration’s priorities concerning public health and environmental research.
