Article by: Isabel Lisle (SLVEC Communications Manager)
Date: August 20, 2024
In collaboration with Dr. Kathy James (CU Anschutz) and San Luis Valley Great Outdoors (SLV GO!), SLVEC just submitted an extensive EPA change grant called THRIVE: Transforming Rural Communities in Air, Water, Soil, and Living. This grant consists of three distinct San Luis Valley community projects: the Lariat Ditch Trail Project, the Air Quality Monitoring Project, and the Solid and Hazardous Waste Management Project.
The first is the Lariat Ditch Trail Project, which will create a cross town paved trail in Monte Vista for pedestrians and bicyclists. The trail will facilitate a safe green space for students to commute to school and local parks for sports practice and workers commuting within town. This project will also modify an existing waterway to divert the water through a pipeline and construct the walking trail over the pipeline. This project will protect water (improve water quality by reducing trash and pollution in water) and improve air quality by incorporating Nature Based Solutions (NBS) into trail construction to restore native grasses, shade trees, and shrubs and protect the waterway and vegetation.
The second is the Air Quality Monitoring Project, which will provide the SLV with data to support actions to protect public and occupational health, especially for residents with chronic health conditions. The SLV is on the front line of climate change with a 20 year drought coupled with wildfires and worsening air and water quality. The SLV is a priority environmental justice EPA Region 8 community that has no established monitors or previous monitoring activities related to contaminants such as metals, pesticides, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, ozone, and black carbon. This project will work to understand and combat contaminants in the atmosphere.
The third is the Solid and Hazardous Waste Management Project, which will address illegal dumping and burning of hazardous waste in Costilla County, and develop a feasibility study for the creation of an Alamosa curbside recycling program. Specifically, the plan will address the safe handling of solid and hazardous waste in Costilla County with the creation of a Solid and Hazardous Waste drop off site and an adjacent composting site. Illegal dumping and burning trash adversely impacts air quality and water quality. Illegal dumping and burning occur regularly throughout the SLV including Saguache and Conejos Counties who will conduct feasibility studies to finalize a plan for creating drop off sites and composting. Lastly, as part of this project City of Alamosa will execute a feasibility study to make plans for a citywide curbside recycling program to reduce the amount of single use plastic, metal cans, aluminum, glass, and paper products dumped at the regional landfill. This effort will support the State’s circular economy initiative, which was passed by the State legislature in 2022.
Wish us luck in receiving the grant!