In a significant turn of events, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is set to revive a crucial grant initiative designed to bolster climate resilience in communities facing natural disasters such as floods and fires. This announcement follows a year-long suspension of the program that even affected $200 million in grants previously allocated to North Carolina.
The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program is pivotal in equipping communities to withstand severe weather events. However, the halt has stalled numerous infrastructure projects across North Carolina, including upgrades to sewers, riverbank maintenance, and wastewater management.
The program’s suspension prompted an extended legal battle. After a federal court mandated FEMA to disburse the grants, the agency delayed action. This inaction led North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, supported by 19 other states, to file a motion compelling FEMA to release the funds, which was subsequently approved.
Recently, FEMA indicated a shift in its stance, expressing intentions to “fully resume programmatic support for BRIC awards and sub applications, such as award monitoring and closeout, and completing pre-award review activities once the lapse in appropriations has ended.”
The agency further mentioned plans to reestablish the BRIC program, emphasizing responsible management of taxpayer funds by launching a new funding opportunity.
Despite these announcements, a North Carolina Department of Justice spokesperson noted the absence of any actual fund release. “FEMA has represented in some public reporting that it will restart the BRIC program, but we haven’t seen this go into effect yet,” shared the office in an email to BPR.
North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM), tasked with the distribution of BRIC funds, confirmed receipt of FEMA’s notification about the program’s revival. However, Justin Graney, NCEM’s spokesperson, highlighted that the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) might delay fund disbursement. “The partial shutdown of DHS/FEMA will have impacts on restarting this program as the shutdown does include the mitigation program, so NCEM is unable to obtain any details on the restart from programmatic FEMA staff at this point,” he stated.
This suspension has had widespread ramifications in Western North Carolina. For instance, Hickory is awaiting funds for a project aimed at safeguarding a wastewater treatment facility from flooding. Similarly, a flood vulnerability study in Buncombe County and a water pump station relocation project in Hillsborough remain on hold.
FEMA reiterated its commitment to resilience-focused projects, attributing the delay to a comprehensive assessment of the program spearheaded by former Department of Homeland Security Director Kristi Noem, who was recently dismissed amid bipartisan criticism.
Note: This article has been updated with a response from NCEM.
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