U.S. District Judge Richard Mark Gergel recently issued an order that said the Environmental Protection Agency failed to comply with a federal court ruling regarding canceled funding.
The Walker River Paiute Tribe is directly affected, as the EPA had revoked a $20M grant intended to support water improvements.
The Walker River Reservation spans 325,000 square acres and is home to 1,200 tribal members. The funding was intended to support water infrastructure, energy efficiency and create a “Community Resilience Hub.”
The funding was canceled shortly after President Donald Trump began his second term. It was canceled alongside several projects that were deemed “DEI and Environmental Protection” grants. (NVBEX: Dec. 23, 2024; April 2, 2025)
In June, a federal court found the EPA’s decision to terminate the Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grant Program was “arbitrary and capricious and unlawful.” The judge did not order the agency to fully restore the program, noting it would be “impractical” to hire the staff necessary to do so.
The EPA then decided not to reinstate the grants. After Judge Richard Mark Gergel’s decision, however, the EPA reported it is “reviewing the decision.”
Bryan Cordell of the Sustainability Institute, the firm that filed the initial lawsuit, said the EPA does not have to rehire individuals but does have to carry out the funding obligations. (Source: Nevada Current)
