The U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday it is officially ending a controversial settlement agreement stemming from a so-called “environmental justice” investigation launched by the Biden administration in rural Lowndes County, Alabama — a move signaling the Trump administration’s renewed commitment to equal treatment under the law without bowing to race-based policymaking.
The original probe, which accused Alabama officials of neglecting the wastewater needs of residents in the predominantly Black county, was conducted under the banner of environmental justice — a progressive priority that critics say often weaponizes race and class rhetoric to push a broader DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) agenda. That initiative was part of a broader Biden-era push to inject DEI-based decision-making into federal agencies — a practice that President Donald Trump vowed to reverse in the interest of fairness, fiscal responsibility, and constitutional governance.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division said in a statement, “The DOJ will no longer push ‘environmental justice’ as viewed through a distorting, DEI lens.” She reaffirmed that President Trump’s directive aims to restore equality before the law and ensure government resources are allocated based on need and national interest — not identity politics.
The settlement being withdrawn had required Alabama’s health department to make accommodations, including halting fines for residents with failing septic systems and drafting a long-term wastewater solution for the region. But critics argue that the original investigation crossed a line by framing legitimate infrastructure challenges as racial injustice, creating a dangerous precedent for federal overreach based on arbitrary identity categories.
Though the Biden DOJ claimed Alabama’s handling of sanitation issues showed a pattern of discrimination, the Trump administration has chosen to focus on restoring colorblind administration of justice. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi previously rescinded Biden’s executive directive prioritizing environmental justice cases, describing it as a misuse of federal authority.
Dr. Scott Harris, Alabama’s state health officer, said his department remains committed to improving sanitation in Lowndes County and across the state, noting that much of the progress depends on stable federal and state funding — not federal investigations. He confirmed that efforts to install new septic systems with the help of American Rescue Plan funds will continue, regardless of the DOJ’s updated position.
Meanwhile, Democrats like Rep. Terri Sewell criticized the DOJ’s move, calling it a setback for public health. But conservatives argue the shift is necessary to restore sensible, race-neutral governance and end the politicization of bureaucracies.
Catherine Flowers, an environmental activist who has long pushed for national attention on rural sanitation, expressed hope that sanitation would still remain a national priority. But for the Trump administration, the message is clear: the focus is on results — not on virtue signaling or dividing Americans by race.
