20 states sue FEMA for canceling grant program that guards against natural disasters

Twenty Democratic-led states filed suit Wednesday against the Federal Exigency Management Agency challenging the elimination of a long-running grant effort that helps communities guard against damage from natural disasters The lawsuit contends President Donald Trump s administration acted illegally when it communicated in April that it was ending the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities undertaking FEMA canceled a few projects already in the works and refused to approve new ones despite funding from Congress In the wake of devastating flooding in Texas and other states it s clear just how critical federal tools are in helping states prepare for and respond to natural disasters announced Attorney General Andrea Enjoyment Campbell of Massachusetts where the federal lawsuit was filed By abruptly and unlawfully shutting down the BRIC initiative this administration is abandoning states and local communities that rely on federal funding to protect their residents and in the event of calamity save lives FEMA did not without delay respond Wednesday to a request for comment It commented in April that the plan was wasteful and ineffective and more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters The effort established by a law provides grants for a variety of tragedy mitigation efforts including levees to protect against floods safe rooms to provide shelter from tornadoes vegetation management to reduce damage from fires and seismic retrofitting to fortify buildings for earthquakes During his first term Trump signed a law shoring up funding for accident danger reduction efforts The venture then got a billion boost from an infrastructure law signed by former President Joe Biden That law requires FEMA to make available at least million annually for accident mitigation grants for the - fiscal years the lawsuit says The suit contends the Trump administration violated the constitutional separation of powers because Congress had not authorized the campaign s demise It also alleges the activity s termination was illegal because the decision was made while FEMA was under the leadership of an acting administrator who had not met the requirements to be in charge of the agency The lawsuit says communities in every state have benefited from federal tragedy mitigation grants which saved lives and spared homes businesses hospitals and schools from costly damage Particular communities have already been affected by the decision to end the undertaking Hillsborough North Carolina had been awarded nearly million to relocate a wastewater pumping station out of a flood plain and make other water and sewer system improvements But that hadn t happened yet when the remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal damaged the pumping station and forced it offline last week In rural Mount Pleasant North Carolina town representatives had hoped to use more than million from the BRIC effort to improve stormwater drainage and safeguard a vulnerable electric system thus protecting investments in a historic theater and other businesses While the society largely supports Trump assistant town manager Erin Burris reported people were blindsided by the lost funding they had spent years pursuing I ve had downtown property owners saying What do we do Burris declared I ve got engineering plans ready to go and I don t have the money to do it Associated Press reporters Jack Brook Michael Casey and Gary D Robertson contributed to this summary Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press Overview for America Statehouse News Initiative Statement for America is a nonprofit national facility project that places journalists in local newsrooms to statement on undercovered issues