WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency has terminated grant agreements worth $20 billion issued by the Biden administration under a so-called green bank to finance clean energy and climate-friendly projects.
The action comes weeks after the EPA froze the grants, which EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has characterized as a “gold bar” scheme marred by conflicts of interest and potential fraud.
The grants “raise significant concerns and pose unacceptable risk,’' Zeldin added.
“The only way we can reduce waste, increase oversight and meet the intent of the law as it was written is by terminating these grants.”.
The terminations come as three of the nonprofit groups that received grants have filed lawsuits challenging the funding freeze ordered by the EPA.
Zeldin, who was confirmed as EPA head in late January, quickly targeted the green bank as an example of Biden-era overreach.
In a video posted last month on X, Zeldin said the EPA would revoke contracts for the still-emerging bank. »
