Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined colleagues in introducing the Excess Urban Heat Mitigation Act, which would create a competitive grant program to provide funding to combat the causes and consequences of urban heat islands.
“In places like East Portland, where a lack of tree canopy already leaves neighborhoods dangerously exposed to extreme heat, the Trump Administration’s illegal funding freeze and grant contract cancellations will only deepen this heat crisis,” said Merkley. “The Excess Urban Heat Mitigation Act provides much-needed resources for tree planting, cooling centers, and other solutions to fight climate chaos and keep our communities safe.”
“With extreme heat driven by the climate crisis a growing threat to the well-being of Oregonians and everybody in our country, it’s a must for federal investment to help local communities respond to this life-and-death risk,” said Wyden. “This bill would provide those resources for locally driven responses that could provide relief for farmworkers, construction workers and everybody working outdoors as well as for people living indoors and lacking affordable cooling options.”
Heat islands occur when urban areas experience higher temperatures due to factors such as increased population density; a lack of shading; and pavement infrastructure such as parking lots, sidewalks, and roadways. 34 million Americans currently live in areas where manmade factors are pushing up temperatures by 8 degrees Fahrenheit or more.
Portland has seen increasing heat-related health risks, with extreme heat contributing to 72 deaths in Multnomah County during the summer of 2021. East Portland, which lacks adequate tree cover and has a high concentration of concrete, is considered an urban heat island. This effect particularly impacts lower-income and underserved communities, which are more likely to be affected by heat and lack access to cooling resources, further intensifying environmental justice concerns.
The Excess Urban Heat Mitigation Act, led by U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), would create a $30 million grant program through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for entities such as local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, Tribal governments, and nonprofits to implement efforts that prevent and offset the effects of excess urban heat including: cool pavements, cool roofs, tree planting and maintenance, green roofs, bus stop covers, cooling centers, and local heat mitigation education efforts.
This legislation is cosponsored by Senators Merkley, Wyden, Cory Booker (D-NJ) Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Alex Padilla (D-CA).
Bill text can be found by clicking here.
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