A grant from the Environmental Protection Agency for Eastwick, one of Philadelphia’s most flood-prone neighborhoods, has been terminated, city officials said. NBC10’s Lauren Mayk has the details.
Grant money from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that was used to help Eastwick, one of Philadelphia’s most flood-prone neighborhoods, has been terminated, officials said.
The EPA had awarded the million-dollar grant to Philadelphia that was designed to, among other things, support the city’s efforts to address flooding in Eastwick. Flooding has been an issue for years in the Southwest Philadelphia neighborhood which was built on marshlands.
“The City received notice of termination of a grant from the EPA (described here) intended to fund efforts to address environmental injustice,” a city spokesperson wrote in a statement to NBC10 on Tuesday. “We are closely monitoring changes to federal funding streams and analyzing how these changes may impact City services.”
Eastwick is part of the district represented by Philadelphia Council President Kenyatta Johnson.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
“Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson is disappointed that the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection has eliminated $1 Million to the City’s Office of Sustainability, money that would be used to help organizations citywide on a variety of environmental issues,” a spokesperson for Johnson wrote. “Council President Johnson will continue to move with a sense of urgency to help bring relief to the residents of Eastwick that have experienced the devastating impacts of flooding for decades.”
The termination of the grant comes a month after the EPA issued new guidance directing that spending items greater than $50,000 require approval from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). It’s unknown at this time if DOGE played a role in the decision to cut the grant.
In response to questions from NBC10 in late March regarding potential local cuts made to their programs and personnel as well as the grant, an EPA spokesperson sent NBC10 the following statement.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
“EPA is taking exciting steps as we enter the next phase of organizational improvements,” the spokesperson wrote. “We are committed to enhancing our ability to deliver clean air, water, and land for all Americans. While no decisions have been made yet, we are actively listening to employees at all levels to gather ideas on how to better fulfill agency statutory obligations, increase efficiency, and ensure the EPA is as up-to-date and effective as ever.”
