The Trump administration has halted nearly $1 million in EPA grants that were earmarked for asthma treatment initiatives in Western Massachusetts, drawing sharp criticism from state officials; Governor Maura Healey called the move a direct attack on the health of residents and an obstacle to improving air quality in the face of increasing extreme weather events, according to a recent statement.
With Hampden County holding a "D" grade for air quality from the American Lung Association, the grant was designed to fund in-home environmental repairs like mold removal and enhanced ventilation in cities including Chicopee, Holyoke, and Springfield, per the same report; Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll and others see this as a setback for public health efforts, saying that it hinders the state’s work to ensure safe living conditions. With escalating heat, droughts, and wildfires, prioritizing air quality and combating asthma seems critical.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh expressed deep concern over the funding cutoff, highlighting the clear steps that could have been taken to aid people with asthma in the western part of the state—steps that are now potentially out of reach for those in need, she told Mass.gov News. Dr. Robbie Goldstein, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, likewise emphasized the consequences of these cuts, pointing out that these resources were meant to target the underlying causes of asthma in underserviced communities and that their absence is a "grave injustice."
Colleen Shanley-Loveless, leader of Springfield's Revitalize Community Development Corporation, argued that the grant's abrupt withdrawal undermines their capacity to create safer, healthier homes, stressing the essential nature of services like pest management and duct cleaning for residents facing increased health risks—without this federal support, such home repairs and health interventions are being delayed or even canceled, leaving at-high-risk residents more vulnerable, the program’s officials have emphasized in interviews with Mass.gov News.
Furthering consternation among local leaders, Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and others have openly denounced the funding termination, Sarno reflected on his personal connection to the issue, given his youngest daughter's battle with asthma, and called for President Trump to reconsider the decision for the sake of public health, as reported by Mass.gov News. Moreover, Holyoke Mayor Joshua A. Garcia and Chicopee Mayor John Vieau have described the grants as crucial to improving living conditions for the most vulnerable populations. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has filed a formal dispute against the EPA’s termination, an action following a Trump administration trend of revoking significant grants from the state's public health and mental health departments.
