The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is stopping the distribution of $20 billion in grants that were awarded during the Biden administration for climate and clean-energy initiatives. This decision was announced by Administrator Lee Zeldin on Tuesday.
In a recent video shared on social media, Zeldin expressed concerns that these funds were being managed outside of direct government oversight, noting that they were processed through just eight politically connected nonprofits, some of which are newly established and not well-equipped for such responsibilities. He highlighted that the Department of Justice and the FBI are currently conducting investigations regarding these grants.
The grants were part of a program created under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, initially called the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, but often referred to as the green bank. The program aimed to provide financial support to various organizations focused on aiding disadvantaged communities.
Organizations that were set to receive these funds included well-known nonprofits like the Coalition for Green Capital and Climate United Fund. Zeldin mentioned that these groups had drawn partnerships with other entities such as Habitat for Humanity.
In his communications, Zeldin indicated that these nonprofit recipients have now been informed that their grants have been rescinded. He pointed to concerning reports about the Power Forward Communities group, which received $2 billion in funding despite only reporting $100 in revenue the previous year.
Zeldin further criticized the allocation process, mentioning that the director of the program previously worked in the White House and had assigned a significant portion of the funds to organizations with which he had connections.
“This is just the beginning,” Zeldin stated, asserting that terminating these grants was necessary to uphold accountability and transparency. He emphasized his commitment to fiscal responsibility and value for taxpayer money.
He concluded by assuring the public that the EPA would strive to uphold its responsibilities in managing public funds effectively, indicating that such actions would help restore public trust in the agency.
