Environmental group left in limbo after federal grant suddenly vanishes

A South Carolina environmental nonprofit lost access to a $365,000 federal grant after the Trump administration froze Inflation Reduction Act funds, leaving critical air monitoring projects in marginalized communities at risk.

Lisa Sorg reports for Inside Climate News.

In short:

The Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL) had been using a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant to fund air monitoring in environmental justice communities but was unable to access the funds after an unexplained system failure.
President Trump’s executive order halted IRA and infrastructure funds, though a federal judge later blocked the freeze, creating confusion about the status of ongoing projects.
BREDL is continuing operations with other funds, but many similar organizations remain in financial uncertainty despite prior funding commitments.

Key quote:

“In spite of the federal judges pausing Trump’s unlawful funding freeze, many organizations remain in real-time disarray.”

— Jillian Blanchard, vice president of Climate Change and Environmental Justice at Lawyers for Good Government

Why this matters:

The freezing of environmental grants has sent shockwaves through communities and organizations that depend on federal funding to track pollution and protect public health. These grants, often targeted at vulnerable populations disproportionately affected by environmental hazards, play a critical role in measuring air and water pollution. Without them, projects designed to monitor contaminants or study their long-term effects on human health could grind to a halt, leaving residents in heavily polluted areas without critical protections. This uncertainty comes at a time when scientific evidence underscores the urgency of addressing pollution and climate change.

insideclimatenews.org

Environmental group left in limbo after federal grant suddenly vanishes

‘Environmental violence’: Inside the fight to save indigenous land from becoming a nuclear dumping ground

Tesla ditches solar roof — and embraces regular solar panels

The biggest carbon polluters are to blame for half of U.S. western water lost to climate change, ‘groundbreaking’ paper says

Brazil’s unique data center boom rides on clean power despite social burden

The clean energy transition has a grid problem. Here’s how to fix it

The world inches closer to catastrophic climate events

Even meteorologists are baffled by the Midwestern tornado season

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.