EPA's environmental justice head resigns amid budget cuts

WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the Environmental Protection Agency's office on environmental justice has resigned in protest over the Trump administration's proposal to slash funding for programs that help poor and minority communities nationwide.

Mustafa Ali, an associate assistant EPA administrator, helped found the environmental justice office in the 1990s and worked under Republican and Democratic presidents.

Ali told InsideClimate News, which first reported on his resignation, that he sees no indication the Trump administration is interested in helping vulnerable communities. He says his "values and priorities seem to be different than our current leadership, and because of that I feel that it's best if I take my talents elsewhere."

Ali's resignation letter urges EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to reconsider proposals to cut EPA's budget, including environmental justice grants, by one-quarter.