Gonzaga University and City of Spokane Urge Reinstatement of Climate Resilience Funding Ahead of Extreme Summer Heat
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~ Spokane, WA - Gonzaga University and the City of Spokane are urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reconsider their decision to terminate a $19.9 million federal grant aimed at supporting local climate resilience, public health, and workforce development. The grant, awarded through the Climate and Environmental Justice Community Change program, is crucial for the Inland Northwest as it enters its heat and wildfire season.

The termination of this grant puts vulnerable community members at risk and undermines efforts to prepare for increasingly severe climate-related events. According to Dr. Thayne McCulloh, president of Gonzaga University, this decision not only raises concerns about the process but also has real consequences for the people they serve.

The grant funds critical community-based initiatives in Spokane and the Inland Northwest, including installing high-efficiency HVAC and air filtration systems in 300 low-income homes, developing five Community Resilience Hubs as safe spaces during extreme weather, re-granting $2.6 million to local nonprofits and faith-based organizations, and providing job training programs in clean energy and energy efficiency.

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More than 94% of the grant is allocated for direct services and community infrastructure that aim to protect lives, reduce energy costs, support small businesses, and build long-term resilience. With rising temperatures and increased wildfire smoke exposure in Spokane, losing this funding poses immediate risks to public health and safety.

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown expressed her concern about the decision's impact on the community's health and safety. She stated that terminating this grant puts lives at risk and undermines locally led solutions to climate change challenges.

Gonzaga University and the City of Spokane believe that this termination lacks legal justification and goes against the terms of their cooperative agreement with EPA. Similar efforts to halt climate-related funding have been challenged in court under acts such as the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act due to concerns about overreach and constitutional violations.

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The goals of the program, which include improving energy efficiency, reducing public health risks, and expanding economic opportunity, align with bipartisan policy objectives and are based on data-driven, community-focused strategies.

Mayor Brown emphasized that this is not a political issue but a matter of protecting people. She urged legislators representing the affected community members to intervene and request immediate reinstatement of the grant. She also called for a formal explanation from EPA regarding the legal basis for the termination and its impact on other grants in Washington State.

The risks of not having this funding are real. Four years ago, 19 area residents died from extreme heat and smoke exposure. Every day without this funding puts thousands of Spokane area families at unnecessary risk once again. Gonzaga University and the City of Spokane urge EPA to move beyond any political agenda and reinstate the grant immediately to complete this life-saving program for their residents now and in the future.

Filed Under: Government, City
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