Federal dollars are coming to New Mexico for pollution cleanup

Jul. 25—Federal dollars are headed to New Mexico for pollution cleanup and environmental workforce development. Water projects across the state also could get a funding boost from legislation that passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

EPA grants

New Mexico is getting $1 million in federal funds to clean up pollution and train workers in environmental professions through grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the EPA announced Tuesday. The grant programs were created by the bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021.

Half a million dollars will go to the Santa Fe Community College to fund the college's Environmental Technician Training Program. The five-week program offers certifications for entry-level jobs, including work in hazardous waste, CPR, forklift operations, OSHA standards, environmental sampling and radiation safety.

"With this funding, Santa Fe Community College will be able to provide tuition-free environmental training and prepare students for impactful climate jobs across our state," said Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M. Leger Fernández and New Mexico's senators Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich celebrated the funding in an announcement Wednesday.

The other $500,000 grant will go to the City of Raton to assess polluted sites. The sites previously were the locations of a market, a hospital and a horse-racing track.

"It could not have come at a better time, with Raton soon to be the western connection on Interstate 25 of a major artery of the new Interstate 27," said Raton City Manager Rick Mestas. "We have several properties from the late 19th through mid-20th centuries that can be cleaned up to support long-term economic growth."

Potential increase in water project funding

The Water Resources Development Act of 2024 includes $50 million increases in available funding for two Army Corps of Engineers programs in New Mexico and authorizes studies for new water projects. The bill passed the House on Tuesday, but still needs to pass the Senate.

The annual water authorization act does not include funding appropriations, which come through a separate appropriations bill, but it authorizes projects and research.

The bill would authorize studies for three new Army Corps of Engineers water projects in New Mexico: a master stormwater management plan for Doña Ana County; developing a comprehensive stormwater management plan with Otero County; and continued work to prevent major flooding in Hatch, with authorization for a new dam.

The bill would increase funding for the Army Corps of Engineers' Central New Mexico Project by $50 million to $150 million. That funds projects in Bernalillo, Valencia and Sandoval counties. It would also increase funding for the Corps' Western Rural Water Project by $50 million to $850 million, which is for New Mexico drinking, waste and stormwater projects.

The bill would also authorize a $2 million funding increase for the Tribal Partnership Program, which supports infrastructure projects in tribal communities, like the Pueblo of Isleta's effort to protect Pottery Mound from erosion.

"These investments will address long-standing issues and provide the resources needed to manage our water infrastructure effectively," said Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., who worked to secure the increases.