GU, city of Spokane call for reversal of climate grant termination

Gonzaga University and the city of Spokane called on the Trump administration Friday to reinstate a $19.9 million federal research grant intended to help the region fight the harmful effects of climate change. 

In their statement, the university and city said funding awarded to GU’s Institute for Climate, Water and the Environment is critical to protecting vulnerable communities from severe heat and that they believe the May 2 termination is legally invalid.

“This work has already begun in good faith under a legally binding agreement,” Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown said in the statement. “The decision to terminate this grant puts lives at risk and undermines locally led solutions to climate and public health challenges.”

The grant was initially awarded to GU’s climate institute, the city, The Carl Maxey Center and Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners in January by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate and Environmental Justice Community Change program. Since then, the grant has funded actions to reduce the impact of climate change on the Spokane community, including the installation of high efficiency heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in 300 low-income homes. Additionally, the grant is funding the development of five Community Resilience Hubs to offer protection from extreme temperatures, the regranting of $2.5 million to local nonprofits and faith-based organizations and job training programs in renewable energy fields, according to the statement.

GU and the city said the decision lacks legal justification and contradicts the terms of the agreement. The statement also said several preliminary court rulings have been made against similar climate-related funding cuts under the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

“We are concerned not only about the process by which this decision was made but even more so about its very real consequences for the people we serve,” GU President Thayne McCulloh said in the statement. “Our mission is to educate and serve. This grant enables our community to learn how to deal with dangerous climate conditions and help the thousands of community members who lack the ability to protect themselves from the extreme heat and wildfire smoke that is all too common in the Inland Northwest today.” 

GU and the city also called for local legislators to take action, asking them to advocate for the grant’s reinstatement and requesting an explanation for the agency’s decision.

Meanwhile, GU’s climate institute is still encouraging community members to submit their Climate Fund proposals by the May 31 deadline. The institute is also seeking funders to invest in its projects.

“Although the original federal funding envisioned for the Community Climate Action Fund is not certain, the need to address the climate crisis remains,” the institute said in a statement on its website. “We are eager to learn more about the community’s needs and priorities for climate action. We remain committed to helping find paths forward for all strong proposals.”

This story is developing.

Alex Hernandez is a news editor.