Groups Urge FEMA ‘Major Disaster’ Designation For Climate-Related Heat

Unions, public health groups and environmentalists are petitioning the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to recognize climate change-related extreme heat and related wildfires as “major disasters” eligible for federal relief funding, arguing the move would help local authorities quickly ramp up worker protections. “This simple but elegant amendment serves to unlock critical funds for state, Tribal, and local governments and communities to manage and mitigate extreme heat and wildfire smoke -- both natural catastrophes predicted to worsen in duration, frequency,...