How Brevard spent hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid during COVID pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Brevard County received hundreds of millions in federal aid, leaving a lasting impact on local projects five years later—but not without controversy.
In April 2020, the county was awarded $105.03 million through the CARES Act, based on population size, followed by $116.92 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) in two equal allocations in 2021 and 2022.
Of the CARES Act funds, only $4.4 million was directed toward individual assistance for housing and utility bills, prompting criticism that less than 5% of the total was insufficient. The County Commission also granted each of its five members $5 million to allocate at their discretion, subject to a majority vote. Additionally, over 1,300 small businesses and nonprofits received CARES Act grants of up to $10,000 to offset financial hardships.
Both the CARES Act and ARPA were intended to support government entities, public safety agencies, nonprofits, hospitals, businesses, and individuals. However, funding decisions often led to divided votes within the Brevard County Commission, fueling ongoing debate over allocation priorities. For a comprehensive list of the financial allocations go to floridatoday.com
Weather Funding Cut
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration laid off hundreds of employees as part of the Trump administration's cuts to the federal government.
The layoffs come as National Weather Service offices across the country have either been closed or consolidated.
Tim Miller is chief meteorologist with the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network.
Speaking on The Florida Roundup, Miller said the cuts in federal funding won't just affect local weather forecasts.
["Believe it not, meteorologists are not just for television broadcasts . Delta Airlines has meteorologists. The Aviation Agency uses meteorologists all the time. Oil companies use meteorologists for their offshore rigs and make sure the the weather is fine there."]
Miller said the funding is crucial to keep up with technology, and help meteorologists continue to produce more accurate forecasts.
In related news, Florida’s congressional Democrats signed a letter to the Trump administration last week with a blunt warning: federal funding cuts for meteorologists and weather forecasting resources “pose an immediate threat to hurricane preparedness and extreme weather response efforts in Florida and across the nation.”
Nationwide, more than 600 employees were laid off in emails sent Feb. 27. About 22 probationary staffers at the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Lab and Southeast Fisheries office were fired, gutting a class of young scientists or newly promoted staffers who had already put in years of service working to improve hurricane forecasting and better manage valuable ocean resources.
Public hearing set to send phosphate wastewater deep underground
The state is holding a public hearing this week to discuss plans by Mosaic to inject industrial waste deep underground. The phosphate company is eyeing the process at four sites in two counties.
Mosaic applied for permits to send the waste byproducts of phosphate production thousands of feet below the drinking water aquifer. They received "conditional" approval to drill eight thousand feet beneath a fertilizer processing site north of Plant City. The initial well would test whether waste comes into contact with drinking water high above.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection will host a public hearing on Mosaic's application at 4 p.m. Tuesday in Plant City.
Mosaic is also applying for permits to send waste underground at its fertilizer processing plants in Riverview, Mulberry and Bartow.
More: www.floridatoday.com
