RALEIGH – Today, Attorney General Jeff Jackson visited the Hillsborough River Pumping Station as he continues his lawsuit against FEMA for canceling over $200 million in cuts to North Carolina’s disaster prevention projects. Hillsborough had been awarded nearly $7 million to move their river pump station out of the floodplain and ensure emergency water connections remained intact.
“This pumping station in Hillsborough just flooded a few weeks ago. A lot of sewage was dumped into the river. That’s why this site was picked to receive funds to move out of the floodplain. This isn’t red team or blue team stuff – it’s about keeping sewage out of our drinking water. I hope we can all agree on that,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “FEMA broke the law when they canceled these funds, and I’m going to court to get them back for North Carolina.”
“Like many towns across North Carolina, Hillsborough sought and was awarded BRIC grants by FEMA to help strengthen our water and sewer infrastructure, only to have them canceled without warning,” said Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell. “BRIC grants are vital to protect Hillsborough’s public safety and to promote economic development for our residents, businesses, hospital and community college. Tropical Storm Chantal disabled our water and sewer infrastructure two weeks ago. We call upon FEMA to restore BRIC and to help small towns like Hillsborough mitigate future disasters.”
Hillsborough’s river pumping station was one of over 60 projects statewide that had been awarded funding from the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program established during President Trump’s first term. The BRIC funds were meant to support disaster preparation projects, including constructing evacuation shelters and flood walls, safeguarding utility grids against wildfires, protecting wastewater and drinking water infrastructure, and fortifying bridges, roadways, and culverts.
Many municipalities had already spent millions of their own dollars to get these projects underway when the program was abruptly canceled in April. During Tropical Storm Chantal, the Hillsborough river pumping station flooded, dumping 75 percent of the town’s sewage into the Eno River.
Attorney General Jackson’s lawsuit alleges that FEMA’s decision violates the U.S. Constitution and other federal laws. He is asking the court for a preliminary injunction to prevent FEMA from spending BRIC funds in other ways and a permanent injunction to restore the BRIC program and the funds promised to the state.
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