Reps. Lee, Deluzio Celebrate Unfreezing of $500K EPA Grant to Support Community-Driven Projects in Upper Ohio River Valley

PITTSBURGH, PA – AUGUST 11, 2025 — Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) celebrated her successful push to get the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to unfreeze $499,970 in awarded federal grant funding to local nonprofits New Sun Rising, RiverWise, and The Mon Water Project. The funding release comes after U.S. Representatives Summer Lee and Chris Deluzio (PA-17) pushed back in a letter to the EPA, demanding that they reverse the DOGE-led cuts.

With funding restored, New Sun Rising, RiverWise, and The Mon Water Project can resume providing technical assistance and grant preparation support to small- and medium-sized local organizations pursuing projects that improve local food systems, water management, utility costs, and air quality in the Upper Ohio River Valley.  

“Our communities are working to improve the health and wellness of our neighbors in Western Pennsylvania, and part of our job as legislators is to support their efforts. I am relieved to hear that after Rep. Deluzio and I pushed back, these federal grants will be released,” said Congresswoman Lee. “While the EPA should have never frozen these congressionally authorized funds, I will continue to hold this administration to account to ensure our region receives the investments it needs and deserves." 

“From drinking water and commerce, to recreation and more—our prosperity relies on a clean and healthy Ohio River. That’s why when my office heard about EPA freezing this promised funding, we jumped into action with Congresswoman Lee and kept pushing to fix this,” said Congressman Deluzio. “The Trump EPA never should have frozen this funding in the first place, but I’m glad we got the money heading back home. There are innovative projects to improve the resilience and livability of our river towns, and this restored funding will help these projects continue to serve our Western PA communities.”  

"Supporting community-driven innovation is more important than ever to building regional health and prosperity. By restoring these funds, New Sun Rising, RiverWise, and the Mon Water Project will develop solutions to critical issues faced by residents, such as energy burden, watershed health, and food insecurity,” said Scott Wolovich, Executive Director of New Sun Rising. “Congressman Deluzio and Congresswoman Lee have been steadfast in their efforts to overturn the illegal termination of these grants, and we are deeply appreciative of their advocacy."  

The funding was originally awarded through the EPA’s Thriving Communities grant program, a program designed to address environmental justice issues. In Pennsylvania, the grant program is administered by the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, which has sub-granted this award to New Sun Rising, RiverWise, and The Mon Water Project. 

Congresswoman Summer Lee serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Accountability and the Committee on Education and Workforce. Since taking office in January 2023, she has delivered historic levels of federal investment totaling over $2.4 Billion brought back to Western PA, including over $580 million for infrastructure, over $110 million for affordable transit, over $500 million to keep clean energy manufacturing at home in Pennsylvania, and over $55 million on clean energy efforts in and around schools to help keep our kids and communities safe. These investments will help improve Western Pennsylvania’s infrastructure and transit, ensure cleaner air and drinking water, lower housing costs, fund research institutions, fuel clean manufacturing, fund STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, boost workforce development, and create thousands of good paying union jobs. Lee and her team have also delivered casework and constituent services to over 3,000 constituents with issues ranging from helping our seniors and disabled community access Medicare and social security to helping folks secure housing and helping families with immigration support and passports.