Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    • Environmental Topics
    • Air
    • Bed Bugs
    • Chemicals, Toxics, and Pesticide
    • Emergency Response
    • Environmental Information by Location
    • Health
    • Land, Waste, and Cleanup
    • Lead
    • Mold
    • Radon
    • Research
    • Science Topics
    • Water Topics
    • A-Z Topic Index
    • Laws & Regulations
    • By Business Sector
    • By Topic
    • Compliance
    • Enforcement
    • Guidance
    • Laws and Executive Orders
    • Regulations
    • Report a Violation
    • Environmental Violations
    • Fraud, Waste or Abuse
    • About EPA
    • Our Mission and What We Do
    • Headquarters Offices
    • Regional Offices
    • Labs and Research Centers
    • Planning, Budget, and Results
    • Organization Chart
    • EPA History

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. News Releases

EPA Releases Statement Following Favorable D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Ruling

September 2, 2025

Contact Information
EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a statement following the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit favorable decision in support of EPA’s termination of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) grants. 

“It’s fantastic to see reason prevail in the court system. EPA has a duty to be an exceptional steward of taxpayer dollars. Administrator Zeldin cancelled these grants due to well documented concerns about self-dealing and conflicts of interest, unqualified recipients, and intentionally reduced agency oversight. The gold bar recipients were wrong about jurisdiction all along and wrong to act so entitled to these precious public funds that belong to hardworking American taxpayers.”  

As the opinion states,  

  • “The month before President Trump’s inauguration, EPA modified the grant agreements—with no apparent consideration from the grantees—to make it more difficult for the government to terminate the grants.”  
  • “[N]othing in the Inflation Reduction Act prevented EPA from taking care that the grant programs be faithfully executed…. [T]his preliminary injunction … bar[red] EPA from carrying out basic executive functions to ensure the prudent and effective management of substantial public funds.”  
  • “The district court also ignored the government’s evidence of mismanagement of the grant funds, such as the damning ‘gold bars’ video, which further supports EPA’s good faith in deciding to terminate the grants and recommit the funds with proper supervision and accountability.”  
  • “Our jurisdiction, however, rests on law, not on the severity of the alleged wrongdoing claimed by the grantees and reported by The Washington Post, The New York Times, and Politico.”  

Background: 

In March, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin notified National Clean Investment Fund and Clean Communities Investment Accelerator recipients of the termination of their grant agreements under the Biden-Harris Administration’s $20 billion “gold bar” approach to implementing GGRF. This termination was based on substantial concerns regarding the GGRF program integrity, the award process, wasteful spending, and misalignment with agency’s priorities, which collectively undermine the fundamental goals and statutory objectives of the award. Following a comprehensive review and consistent with multiple ongoing independent federal investigations into the program, EPA identified material deficiencies which pose an unacceptable risk to the lawful execution of these grants. The Biden EPA parked $20 billion dollars at an outside financial institution in a manner that deliberately reduced the ability of EPA to conduct proper oversight. The termination of these grants reflects EPA’s duty to protect public funds and maintain the integrity of its grant programs. The agency is committed to administering taxpayer funding in a transparent and accountable manner with the highest standards of fiscal responsibility. 

Related Links

  • Headquarters
  • Read other EPA News Releases about Administrator
Contact Us about News Releases
Contact Us about News Releases to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on September 2, 2025
  • Assistance
  • Spanish
  • Arabic
  • Chinese (simplified)
  • Chinese (traditional)
  • French
  • Haitian Creole
  • Korean
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Tagalog
  • Vietnamese
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Discover.

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Budget & Performance
  • Contracting
  • EPA www Web Snapshot
  • Grants
  • No FEAR Act Data
  • Plain Writing
  • Privacy
  • Privacy and Security Notice

Connect.

  • Data
  • Inspector General
  • Jobs
  • Newsroom
  • Regulations.gov
  • Subscribe
  • USA.gov
  • White House

Ask.

  • Contact EPA
  • EPA Disclaimers
  • Hotlines
  • FOIA Requests
  • Frequent Questions
  • Site Feedback

Follow.