Federal agency suspends hazard mitigation funds for Indiana

KOKOMO, Ind. (AP) – All hazard mitigation grants awarded to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security have been suspended due to unresolved compliance issues with a baseball stadium project in Kokomo.

The decision announced Thursday by the Federal Emergency Management Agency will affect about $5.5 million in mitigation grant funds. Indiana also will not be eligible for future hazard mitigation funding until the compliance issues are resolved.

Both the state and federal government have told Kokomo to stop building the stadium because the city is violating the terms of the grant accepted for the flood-prone area. The federal program requires the city to maintain the land along Wildcat Creek as open green space.

The state agency is currently managing $50 million in hazard mitigation funded projects, but those funds will not be affected by the suspension.