Senate Environment and Public Works Democrats demanded Monday that EPA provide details about freezing the commercial bank accounts of nonprofit groups awarded climate grants.
In a letter spearheaded by ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), the senators questioned EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin about his ordering the Citibank freeze, which took effect last week for Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grants. The grants are no longer under the agency’s control.
EPA has been silent about the reason for the freeze. The grant recipients themselves say they haven’t been notified by EPA or Citibank about the cause or duration of the funding pause, which they say has put their own investments and contracts at risk.
“Because there is no legal basis for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to claw back these expended grants, and because doing so would destroy thousands of jobs and harm hundreds of communities across the country, we call on you to respect applicable legal authority, reconsider your decision, and ensure funding is available as the law requires,” the letter states.
