(This story was updated to add new information.)
California is suing to reverse what it says is an unlawful termination of a grant program that’s been used to mitigate the impacts of natural disasters nationwide.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and a coalition of 19 other states are asking the courts to compel the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reverse the termination of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program, according to a news release from the attorney general’s office.
“The BRIC program is the nation’s largest, most popular, most cost-effective pre-disaster mitigation program,” Bonta said during a media conference on July 16. “Shutting it down is illogical, negligent, and yes, it is illegal.”
FEMA did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment from the Desert Sun on the lawsuit. However, a FEMA spokesperson said on July 17 that Biden administration used the BRIC program as a “piggy bank for its green new deal agenda” and that FEMA will do right by taxpayers by “bringing integrity to all our spending.”
What does this FEMA program do?
The program, said Bonta, “proactively fortifies communities” before a natural disaster occurs.
“It’s advanced preparation and mitigation to prevent the harms from a disaster before it happens,” he said. “In doing so, it saves lives, it reduces injuries, it protects property and saves our municipalities, states and nation untold amounts of money.”
FEMA described the program as supporting states and local governments as they “work to reduce their hazard risk” and one that “encourages and aids innovation.”
According to a court filing, FEMA had selected Sacramento’s application for a $21.36 million project under the program that would have funded flood mitigation. Another $32.39 million project selected would have funded a seismic retrofit of a hospital in central California.
Prior to the grant program being shut down, it was poised to fund hundreds of projects targeting flooding mitigation, seismic retrofits, shelter from tornadoes, vegetation management to reduce damage from wildfires and more nationwide, according to the court document.
Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: California joins states in a lawsuit over FEMA program used for mitigating natural disasters
Reporting by Paris Barraza, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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