Rural communities, tribes sue EPA over $2.8 billion in canceled funding for flood mitigation and resilience projects

A coalition of nonprofits, tribes, and local governments is suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over the termination of $2.8 billion in environmental and climate justice grants for disadvantaged communities.

One member of that coalition is located a few miles off the coast of the Bering Sea. The Native Village of Kipnuk (Qipneq), Alaska, is built on thawing permafrost. Qipneq means “bend” in the Native Yup’ik language, referring to the village’s location along the meandering Kugkaktlik River.

In recent years, high water has become a common phenomenon in Kipnuk, as the riverbanks become destabilized by melting permafrost, flooding, and erosion. Stronger st

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