FEMA has canceled over $20 million in Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grants for North Dakota infrastructure projects. This comes as President Trump violated a court order to halt federal funding cuts. The BRIC program aims to protect communities from potential disasters, like floods. Affected projects include a $7.1 million water intake project in Washburn, $7.8 million for regional wastewater treatment in Lincoln, and $1.9 million for a wastewater lagoon in Fessenden. The cancellation impacts 10 authorized projects, with more potentially losing funding after re-review. For Fessenden, a town of 450 people, the loss is devastating as they were “shovel ready” with bids set to open May 1 for their century-old lagoon project. Infrastructure like this is likely to become more decrepit without BRIC grants, as the local taxpayers will not be able to shoulder the burden. Local funding would require increasing property taxes by $6,000 per homeowner. Governor Armstrong has directed state agencies to explore alternative funding solutions, while state lawmakers are considering options during the legislative session. FEMA stated on April 4 that the BRIC program was “wasteful and ineffective,” as the agency faces cuts and layoffs. The program was coveted by states and touted as helping states, localities and native tribes “reduce their hazard risk” and “build capacity and capability,” until the Trump Administration deemed the program more focused on climate change than they would have liked.
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