Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey says Trump is withholding nearly $900,000 in asthma-related grants

Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald on Apr 25, 2025

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BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey said the Trump administration terminated just under $1 million in grant dollars promised to the state to address asthma in Western Massachusetts, a move the governor argued undermines efforts to improve residents’ health.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency withheld almost $900,000 from the state Department of Public Health to support “in-home environmental remediations” like mold removal and improved ventilation in Chicopee, Holyoke, and Springfield, according to the Healey administration.

In a statement Friday morning, Healey said prioritizing improving air quality is “essential” as extreme heat, droughts, and wildfires become more common.

“This is just their latest attack on the health and well-being of communities across our country,” she said.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Protection Agency did not immediately respond to a Boston Herald inquiry.

The Healey administration said the Environmental Protection Agency promised $1 million over three years to Massachusetts but is withholding nearly all of the cash. The money was slated for projects that address asthma in “communities in residents and communities disproportionately at risk,” according to the Healey administration.

The funding was also set to flow to community engagement, “capacity building,” and “cross-bureau collaboration” within the Department of Public Health to address environmental hazards and “to build community-level adaptability and resiliency to address public health threats,” the governor said.

Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein said the funding represented “health, equity, and dignity.”

“We have used these grants to address the root causes of asthma in communities that have been historically underserved — places where too many children struggle to breathe because of preventable environmental conditions,” Goldstein said in a statement. “The loss of this support is a grave injustice to the families of Chicopee, Holyoke, and Springfield who deserve the same opportunities for health and well-being as everyone else in our Commonwealth and in our country.”

The Healey administration said it has submitted a “formal dispute” contesting the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to terminate the funding.

The Trump administration has cancelled or pulled back grant dollars across myriad sectors in Massachusetts since he took office in January, including cash for K-12 schools, lead pipe replacement, and other projects across the state.

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno said the money for asthma-related projects was needed to “tackle this challenging and multifaceted public health issue.”

“Believe you me, I know firsthand, for my youngest daughter Chiara has had to deal with a serious case of Asthma. Mr. President, many people who voted for and supported you and/or their family members and friends are afflicted with Asthma, and now you turn your back on them? In the name of public health, I ask President Trump to review and reverse this edict,” Sarno said in a statement.

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