EPA Awards Environmental Justice Grant to Las Cruces Organization

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a Las Cruces organization $50,000 to improve public health and increase awareness of environmental issues in colonia communities. The Doña Ana County Colonias Development Council (CDC) was one of 20 organizations from across the country to receive the grants, which were created to assist communities in developing strategic solutions to environmental justice issues and in improving community health and sustainability.

The CDC will use the grant in working with the colonia communities of Chaparral and Sunland Park, New Mexico, to develop a Colonia Environmental Action Initiative. The initiative aims to build awareness of current and potential environmental issues, develop environmental leadership capacity among colonia residents, and to improve and coordinate environmental monitoring among different community groups.