Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
WASHINGTON, D.C. – New Mexico’s Washington delegation announced Friday $18.91 million is coming to the state from the federal infrastructure law to address emerging contaminants, like Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water.
U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) in a joint statement said New Mexico will receive the federal funding through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) emerging contaminants in small or disadvantaged communities (EC-SDC) grant program.
The infrastructure law invests $5 billion over five years to help communities that are on the frontlines of PFAS contamination reduce PFAS in drinking water.
EPA announced the funds as part of an allotment of $2 billion to states and territories that can be used to prioritize infrastructure and source water treatment for pollutants, like PFAS and other emerging contaminants, and to conduct water quality testing.
“Contamination and pollution from these forever chemicals threaten clean drinking water supplies that New Mexico communities depend upon” Heinrich said. “I am proud to welcome this funding.”
“Water is life, and New Mexicans deserve access to safe, clean drinking water,” said Luján. “I’ve heard from communities like Clovis where PFAs has hurt local businesses and poses a public health risk.”
“Our communities have suffered from PFAS contamination, particularly in Clovis,” said Leger Fernández. “I, along with the New Mexico delegation, am working so dairy farmers in Clovis are fully compensated for dangerous levels of PFAS that affected their land, water, and livelihoods.”
“As we continue our work to detect, monitor, and treat harmful PFAS contamination, I’m proud that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is already delivering $19 million to our state to safeguard our waters,” Stansbury said.
“I am committed to conserving our beautiful state, and a key part of that is protecting our natural ecosystems from pollutants,” Vasquez said.
