PennFuture supports Governor Josh Shapiro’s lawsuit to protect Pennsylvanians through the immediate restoration of PA’s access to federal funds
Governor Shapiro seeks to halt an environmental and public health crisis in Pennsylvania
PennFuture strongly supports Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s efforts to unfreeze critical funding that Pennsylvanians depend on to protect against harmful pollution, remediate legacy pollution, and fund energy-savings programs that would benefit the health and economic well-being of our communities. We applaud the Governor’s lawsuit against the Trump Administration as a necessary, urgent action to safeguard the Commonwealth’s public and environmental health.
“As a former Secretary of a state agency, I know the value of the Commonwealth’s partnership with the federal government. Pennsylvania has worked diligently with Congress and other states to ensure there is fair funding to address everything from towns covered by waste coal piles to creating local jobs and reducing bills for homeowners. The Governor’s action recognizes the critical role of federal funding in this work and the need to ensure that federal agencies live up to their obligations.” Patrick McDonnell, President & CEO, PennFuture
There is over $2 billion in federally-allocated funds to address restoration of abandoned mine lands, plugging of oil and gas wells, decarbonizing industrial facilities, providing safe drinking water, and supporting residential energy efficiency. Pennsylvania has a right to these dollars but they are being withheld. These issues have been a focus of Pennfuture's work for the duration of its 25-year history, and these federal funds provided for the implementation of effective, on-the-ground solutions.
In many cases, these are funds that have already been spent based on the contractual promise made by the United States government. Reneging on these obligations, puts already cash-strapped agencies and private businesses in a financially precarious position.
These federal funds are a lifeline for communities that live with the consequences of legacy industrial pollution and environmental degradation. By freezing these funds, the executive branch threatens the health, safety, and well-being of Pennsylvanians. It is clear that the federal executive branch has no legal authority to stop Pennsylvania from receiving these Congressionally-appropriated and contractually obligated funds, and we are grateful that Governor Shapiro has stepped up to fight for the federal government to honor its financial obligations to PA.
We fully support Governor Shapiro’s commitment to immediately restoring access to these funds, and we call on the Trump Administration to honor its obligation to the people of Pennsylvania without delay.