PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality received a grant to prevent pollution in the state as part of President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The grant, which amounts to $296,544 in total, will focus on automotive shops that produce pollution.
"We just really want to help everybody understand we all have an impact and a responsibility for environmental stewardship," says Laura Malone with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.
Some ideas and plans that ADEQ is considering include designing a bilingual online training program and resource center for the automotive manufacturing and maintenance industry, primarily targeting underserved communities in Arizona like south Phoenix and south Tucson. The goal is to provide outreach, assistance, and training in these areas to reduce waste and increase sustainability.
"They really are the disadvantaged areas," Malone states. "Those areas that have more industry in their area because of either highways or rail stations tend to get a lot of industry intermixed with residential."
ADEQ is one of 39 agencies nationally selected by the Environmental Protection Agency to receive grant funding for projects that will promote health and improve environmental conditions in and around disadvantaged communities.
