A $20 million federal grant to support environment and climate justice in Lane County has been suspended. Local officials are now unclear on what’s next.
The grant was awarded last year by the Environmental Protection Agency. Lane County aimed to create “resilience hubs” in Cottage Grove, Veneta, Florence, Oakridge, Eugene, and Springfield.
These hubs would have provided year-round services and support during disasters and emergencies like flooding, wildfires, and heat waves. It would have also helped organizations already doing resilience work by aiding in training medical and non- medical volunteers and equipping them with the necessary supplies.
Lane County spokesperson Devon Ashbridge said the county has halted all work surrounding the grant.
“Because it's unclear what our grant status is right now, we don't want any of our local agencies or grant partners to extend themselves financially and put themselves at risk of not being reimbursed." said Ashbridge.
Ashbridge said that local officials are working closely with the EPA to get more clarity on what the suspension means. Work on the hubs had been set to begin on March 1. The suspension of the funding was first reported by KEZI.
