‘A punch to the gut’: Charlotte’s clean air grants frozen again after Trump cuts
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Federal appeals court upheld Trump-era EPA grant cuts, halting clean air funds.
- Charlotte nonprofit CleanAIRE NC paused air monitor work in underserved areas.
- Legal appeals continue as local groups pursue alternative funding for air projects.
A nonprofit’s plan to continue using EPA grants to monitor clean air across Mecklenburg County was derailed again after a federal appeals court upheld the Trump administration’s decision to slash funding for environmental programs.
In late May, a federal district court judge in South Carolina ordered funding to be restored for environmental programs across the country, including Charlotte-based CleanAIRE NC, according to Southern Environmental Law Center, a nonprofit advocacy group.
A $500,000 Environmental Protection Agency grant from last year was restored to monitor air quality in four northern Mecklenburg communities: Smithville in Cornelius; Huntington Green and Pottstown in Huntersville; and West Davidson in Davidson. This work includes the installation of air monitors.
But that victory didn’t last long.
On June 5, a federal appeals court temporarily blocked a lower court order requiring federal organizations to restore grant funding to nonprofits and municipalities. Earlier this year, the Department of Government Efficiency and the Environmental Protection Agency had begun cutting hundreds of grants nationwide, totaling $1.7 billion, according to an EPA news release.
“It was a significant setback and it’s deeply disappointing,” said CleanAIRE NC spokesman Andrew Whelan, about the recent court decision on the appeal. “It means that we’re once again putting this critical work on hold, when we had just begun to reengage with the communities.”
CleanAIRE NC also installed air monitors in McCrorey Heights in 2024, using a $75,000 EPA grant awarded in 2021. This work included the installation of monitors in several Historic West End neighborhoods such as Washington Heights, Northwood Estates, Hoskins Road, and Oaklawn Park, as well as McCrorey Heights.
The latest grant for northern Mecklenburg County originated from the EPA’s Environmental Justice Collaborative, a Clinton-era initiative designed to address environmental challenges in minority and low-income populations. CleanAIRE NC used this funding for education efforts and to install sensors that collect data on pollutants impacting health.
About the fight over federal funds
Before the funding freeze, CleanAIRE NC had been testing equipment in north Mecklenburg County that was slated for installation.
The court’s recent decision stems from a lawsuit filed in March by the SELC and Public Rights Project against the funding freeze.
This lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Charleston on behalf of 13 nonprofits and six cities, highlighted how the pause furloughed employees and halted programs vital to communities, farmers and public health.
“This ruling echoes what cities and local governments have said all along: the unlawful termination of congressionally approved funds caused real harm to communities,” said Public Rights Project Founder and CEO Jill Habig in May.
The permanent injunction would have restored the majority of the grants that SELC and the PRP represented in the lawsuit, according to the organizations.
In May, SELC Litigation Director Kym Meyer said the organization is ready to challenge the administration’s decision, including taking the appeal up to the Supreme Court if needed.
Details of the case
On June 5, according to court documents, the Richmond, Va.-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit granted the administration’s request for a stay because the government is likely to succeed in its argument that the district court lacked the authority to issue such an order.
The appeals court found that the dispute likely falls under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, rather than a district court.
Citing a Supreme Court decision, the Fourth Circuit stated that the payment of money under grant agreements are essentially contract disputes usually handled by the Court of Federal Claims.
“Residents were very excited about the process of finally getting answers about their local air quality,” Whelan said. “We were actively engaged in the process and to have it paused again, it’s a real punch to the gut.”
Government officials said disbursing those funds would cause irreparable harm, as they cannot recoup the money later.
Circuit Judge Toby Heytens filed a dissent in the case. He stated that the government did not make a “strong showing” that it would likely to succeed on the merits to warrant a stay.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs are appealing the decision after filing an “en banc” review, according to Gerald Babao, CleanAIRE NC deputy director. This means all judges of the court, instead of a panel, will review the case
In the meantime, the organization will continue to push for funding restoration and move forward with its work.
“We certainly will continue to diversify funding resources, whether that be applying for state grant funds, through private foundations and community donations,” Babao said. “But it’s not going to stop the work.”
CleanAIRE NC is planning to launch a fundraising campaign this month for air monitoring across the state. Last week, it launched an online dashboard to track real-time air quality in neighborhoods.
Whelan said north Mecklenburg residents have lived with the impacts of industrial pollution and heavy traffic for decades, without any kind of comprehensive studies about air quality.
“The aim of this project is to change that and give them the tools and knowledge to understand their environment and to help them advocate for healthier living,” he said. “The legal setback is frustrating, but it does not diminish the critical needs of this work.”
