Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona is sponsoring a new bill to mitigate the impacts of extreme heat in urban areas across the U.S.
As heat-related deaths in Arizona have increased, local leaders in the state have called for a more permanent source of federal funding to protect people from extreme temperatures.
In the last few summers, Maricopa County and the City of Phoenix largely relied on temporary pandemic relief funds to pay for cooling centers and other heat relief initiatives.
In his Excess Urban Heat Mitigation Act, Gallego is proposing to create a $30 million grant program through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Local governments, tribes or nonprofits could use the grants for things like cool roof technology, tree planting or cooling centers.
The Democrat-backed bill is likely to face long odds in the Republican-controlled Congress.
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Temperatures in Phoenix have been well above-average for the first week of October, but the weather is about to take a turn. Are we finally done with triple-digits for the year? -
he event, called PhiusCon, is being put on by a nonprofit called Phius, which certifies professionals in its passive building standard. This is the first time in the conference’s more than two-decade history that it’s taking place in the Southwest. -
Nearly 30 people have died from heat stroke in the Mexican state south of Arizona this year. -
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The department’s first e-bike teams were deployed last month to enable rescue teams to get to rural areas with rugged terrain more quickly. The e-bikes can carry medical supplies and rescue equipment to allow firefighters to provide necessary care and manage rescue operations while waiting for additional crews.
