A federal judge in Washington is weighing whether President Donald Trump exceeded his authority by freezing $3 billion in climate-justice funds intended to shield flood-prone Appalachian towns.
Charles Paullin reports for Inside Climate News.
In short:
- Appalachian Voices and allied plaintiffs told the court that Trump’s executive orders illegally voided grants Congress created under the Inflation Reduction Act, including $500,000 for resiliency hubs and asbestos demolition in five Virginia communities.
- Justice Department lawyers argued that the new One Big Beautiful Bill Act lets Congress reclaim “unobligated” money, but internal U.S. Environmental Protection Agency emails cited by plaintiffs indicate most funds were already obligated and cannot be rescinded unilaterally.
- Judge Richard J. Leon promised a ruling “soon,” while a related South Carolina case has temporarily unfrozen some funds pending appeal.
Key quote:
“Folks are mad, folks are hurt, folks feel betrayed.”
— Emma Kelly, new economy program manager at Appalachian Voices
Why this matters:
Extreme rain now lashes central Appalachia more often, sending torrents through hollow towns built beside creeks and on coal-scarred hillsides. Losing federal resilience dollars means low-income residents shoulder the cost of rebuilding, decontaminating asbestos-laden debris and replacing ruined medicines kept cold in now-flooded refrigerators. The same communities long hit hardest by coal’s health toll face mounting risks of mold-induced asthma and water-borne illness as storms stall over warmer air. The court’s decision will reveal whether vulnerable regions can rely on funds Congress sets aside for them, or whether shifting political winds will leave them exposed to the next deluge.
