TL/DR –
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is withholding $75,000 in funding from NH Healthy Climate, a group that had plans to use the money for extreme weather education and disaster preparedness in Cheshire County, New Hampshire. Despite having its grant application accepted, the environmental group learned that the funding, which was part of the Biden Administration’s Environmental and Climate Justice Program, would not be provided. The decision has prompted over 30 New England organizations and many others across the US, who also had their grant proposals accepted but did not receive funding, to join a class action lawsuit challenging the EPA’s decision to terminate the grants.
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Cheshire County Misses Out on Federal Funds for Climate Change Education and Disaster Preparedness
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has decided not to award funding to the group NH Healthy Climate for its efforts to prepare the rural communities of Cheshire County for possible extreme weather incidents in the future. The group had intended to use the $75,000 grant to address the risk of potential catastrophic flooding.
“Smaller towns like Langdon with populations of around 600 to 700 people don’t have the necessary resources to plan for flood preparation”, said Paul Friedrichs, a board member of NH Health Climate. He contrasted this with larger cities like Keene or Portsmouth that have the capacity to handle such initiatives.
Noting the major flooding that occurred in parts of Cheshire County in October 2005, which caused the loss of 7 lives and destroyed over 100 homes, Friedrichs emphasized the importance of such preparedness. Recent flooding incidents in 2021 and 2023 have further highlighted the need for this work.
EPA Denies Funding Despite Grant Application Acceptance
NH Healthy Climate found out in the spring that, despite their grant application being accepted, the funding would not be provided by the EPA. The initiative was planned to be funded under the Environmental and Climate Justice Program, a component of the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, which provides grants for community projects focused on environmental issues.
Friedrichs expressed his disappointment, stating, “It’s very unfortunate that the EPA does not believe that these communities need this minimal funding – $75,000 for our grant compared to the millions of dollars lost in any given flood.”
Class Action Lawsuit Against EPA
More than 30 New England organizations and others nationwide had their grant proposals for the EPA’s environmental justice program accepted but did not receive the funding. Boston-based Health Resources in Action, one of the regional grant administrators for New England, joined a class action lawsuit in June challenging the EPA’s decision to terminate the grants.
Ben Wood, Senior Director of Policy and Practice at Health Resources in Action, said that the termination has caused “irreparable harms”. He added, “[These organizations] are trying to solve incredibly important community-based issues that will address environmental harms and the impacts of climate change. And without those dollars, those communities have one less tool in the toolbox to address those immediate and critical needs.”
The EPA has refrained from commenting on any ongoing or potential lawsuits.
EPA’s Grant Termination Ruled Illegal
In a recent development, a U.S. district judge in Maryland ruled that the EPA had unlawfully terminated grants under the Environment and Climate Justice program. The EPA had stated in an initial grant termination letter that it would no longer support environmental justice and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, which it claimed the organizations were advancing with their grants. The EPA has stated it is currently reviewing the decision.
Paul Friedrichs believes that the NH Healthy Climate grant funding was mistakenly suspended due to the EPA’s departure from DEI. “I just don’t get it,” he said, expressing confusion over the EPA’s reasons for rejecting their proposal which focused on helping small towns in southwestern New Hampshire to prepare for and cope with the risk of recurrent flooding.
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