The Pennysylvania State Capitol signage with the capitol building in the background.

Pennsylvania lawsuit forces Trump administration to releases $2.1 billion in frozen funds

A lawsuit by Pennsylvania and 22 other states forced the Trump administration to restore federal funds for environmental and climate programs, but some state-run initiatives remain at risk.

Jon Hurdle reports for Inside Climate News.

In short:

The Trump administration unfroze $2.1 billion in federal funds for Pennsylvania after a lawsuit challenged the legality of the funding freeze.
The funds will support environmental programs, including abandoned mine cleanup and climate pollution reduction under the Inflation Reduction Act.
Some federal funding for Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection remains uncertain, raising concerns about potential cuts to air and water quality programs.

Key quote:

“Every dollar that we identified at the filing of our lawsuit is currently unfrozen, and once again accessible to all Pennsylvania state agencies.”

— Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro

Why this matters:

Federal funding plays a critical role in state-run environmental programs, from cleaning up abandoned mines to cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The Trump administration’s freeze on these funds disrupted projects that address long-term pollution and climate challenges. While Pennsylvania successfully sued to restore its share, uncertainty remains for other state programs dependent on federal dollars. Without stable funding, efforts to protect air and water quality and to mitigate climate impacts face delays or cutbacks.

insideclimatenews.org

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