DALLAS – (July 1, 2020) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) announce an agreement for New Mexico’s first-ever performance partnership grant, in the amount of $1,562,058. This type of grant provides NMED with greater flexibility to address its highest environmental priorities, improve environmental performance, achieve administrative savings and strengthen its partnership with EPA. 

"NMED has been a consistent, valuable partner in protecting human health and the environment in New Mexico,” said Regional Administrator Ken McQueen.“Their performance partnership grant will be a vital tool for efficiently addressing priorities and improving results. EPA congratulates NMED on this well-deserved grant.”

“Entering into a performance partnership grant allows our federal grant dollars to work smarter,” said New Mexico Environment Department Cabinet Secretary James Kenney. “NMED can now combine federal grant dollars to leverage better environmental outcomes for communities while cutting our administrative costs.”

The grant will fund NMED programs for air, radon, and public water system supervision for two years. Activities for each program area include:

• Air: air pollution-control programs throughout the state, including developing and implementing stationary source regulations; promulgating and updating enhanced mobile source regulations; improving emission inventories for modeling simulations; and operating a monitoring network that collects air data.
• Radon: improve radon risk-reduction with increased testing and mitigation, and building radon-resistant new construction.
• Water: develop and implement a public water system supervision program to enforce National Primary Drinking Water Regulations and the Safe Drinking Water Act.   

A performance partnership grant combines two or more eligible programs into one overall grant. These grants are more flexible for states to administer in several ways, including streamlining paperwork, funding cross-cutting projects, allowing for joint planning and priority-setting, and organizing grant work plans by program area or function. NMED’s grant becomes effective on July 1.   

More on EPA’s work in New Mexico: https://www.epa.gov/nm  

About EPA Region 6: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-6-south-central