Governor Shapiro suing Trump Administration over funding freeze

(WJET/WFXP)– Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is taking legal action against the Trump Administration for Pennsylvania’s share of the national funds frozen by the president’s executive order.

Governor Shapiro announced the lawsuit over the $1.2 billion in federal funding, an additional $900 million of which is needed for undefined review by federal agencies, on social media saying the funds are for serious environmental needs, lowering utility bills for consumers and more.

Shapiro said despite being ordered by federal judges to restore access to the funding, the Trump Administration has yet to do so leaving state agencies locked out of critical funds.

“To protect Pennsylvania’s interests and the funding appropriated to us by Congress, I’m left with no choice but to pursue legal action to defend our Commonwealth,” the governor said.

The order was issued back on January 27, locking state and federal agencies out of billions in funding agreed upon by Congress.

Pennsylvania was not part of the original orders restoring federal funding, there’s no guarantee more litigation on the funds will protect PA’s cut.

As part of the funding freeze, $900 million of additional grant money is now marked as needing more federal agency review before it can be reimbursed however Shapiro said the reason why it needs reviewed hasn’t been communicated.

Shapiro also said this leaves the Commonwealth in a tough spot by racking up debts and obligations in federally approved projects that the Trump Administration is refusing to pay back and that the debts will be higher than any reserve funding Pennsylvania agencies have.

As for the environmental impacts, the Shapiro Administration is using them to reclaim 24,000 acres of abandoned mine land, maintain 16 water treatment systems that deal with the mines’ toxic runoff, and respond to about 60 emergency events per year. 

Should these mines not be tended to, it opens the door for cave-ins and sinkholes similar to the one that claimed the life of a Pennsylvania woman in Westmoreland County.

The funds are also used to plug over 500 abandoned wells around the Commonwealth which also release toxic chemicals along with providing relief on utility bills to more approximately 28,000 residents.

The full complaint filed by the administration is available here.

This is a developing story, updates will be provided as they become available.