The Department of Justice (DOJ) has terminated a Biden-era settlement that aimed to address severe sanitation issues in Lowndes County, Alabama. Announced on April 11, 2025, the decision follows President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14151, which prohibits federal agencies from pursuing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, including those related to environmental justice. The settlement, initially established in March 2023, required the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) to prioritize septic and wastewater management systems for properties at high risk of exposure to raw sewage.
The program, funded with $3.5 million in federal resources, was implemented by the Black Belt Unincorporated Wastewater Program. The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, led by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, stated that the department would no longer support environmental justice efforts viewed through a DEI lens. Dhillon emphasized that taxpayer resources should be expended in accordance with the national interest, not arbitrary criteria.
This termination is likely to have significant repercussions for minority communities in Lowndes County, which have long struggled with inadequate sanitation infrastructure. The lack of proper wastewater management has led to health hazards, including exposure to raw sewage, which disproportionately affects these communities. The DOJ’s decision to end the settlement underscores the ongoing challenges in addressing environmental justice and health disparities in marginalized areas.
See: “DOJ terminates ‘environmental justice’ Lowndes County wastewater settlement with Alabama Department of Public Health” (April 11, 2025)