FEMA Canceled A Program That Could Help Mitigate Landslide Issues In RPV. Now, CA Is Suing

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA — California is suing FEMA, accusing the federal agency of illegally shutting down a program that could have helped cities like Rancho Palos Verdes mitigate ongoing natural disasters.

The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, joining a coalition of 19 other states trying to get FEMA to reverse its decision to terminate the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program.

“Nearly thirty years ago, both Democrats and Republicans in Congress recognized a simple fact: Preparing for disasters, instead of just reacting to them, saves money and lives,” Attorney General Bonta said in a statement Wednesday. "Yet in the name of cutting waste, fraud, and abuse, President Trump and his lackeys have once again jeopardized public safety."

The BRIC program was created to help support states, local and territorial governments and Tribal Nations reduce their hazard risks and offer support in mitigating long-term risks and costs associated with natural disasters.

California, according to Bonta, is "uniquely at risk" from natural disasters as many cities experience floods, wildfires, landslides and earthquakes. Given those risks, California has been the largest beneficiary of the BRIC program, according to Bonta.

But in April, FEMA announced it was ending the BRIC program, saying it was an example of a wasteful and ineffective service offered by the federal agency. The federal agency also claimed the program had become too politicized.

Rancho Palos Verdes applied for the BRIC grant, hoping to fund a $32.9 million project that would reduce landslides across the peninsula. The city's application was selected by FEMA, according to the lawsuit. But the Rancho Palos Verdes never saw any of the money.

"With this project, the (Rancho Palos Verdes) could take important steps to stop or slow this ongoing movement," the lawsuit states. "But without this project, this landslide movement will continue to threaten critical infrastructure, damage homes and property, and endanger lives. The landslide movement is irreversible after it occurs."

California cities and areas, such as Sacramento and Kern County, have found themselves in a similar situation. City officials submitted applications for projects that would help protect community members and eliminate risks associated with flooding and earthquakes.

In Kern County's case, city officials were looking to seismically retrofit a district hospital, Bonta said. Now, without the funding to do so, the hospital may soon close, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to seek acute care and emergency services at hospitals over two hours away.

The decision to end the BRIC program came after the Trump Administration appointed Cameron Hamilton as FEMA's new administrator — an act that Bonta has called unlawful.

Bonta also said that the termination of the program conflicts with Congress members' decision to keep providing funding toward BRIC and that FEMA has violated the U.S. Constitution and Congress’s "power of the purse."

"We’re taking them to court – not because we want to, but because we have to," Bonta said. "As we continue to build a climate resilient California, we deserve a federal government that is a partner, not a roadblock in our efforts – and that’s exactly what Congress intended.”