New Mexico Environment Department awards over $750,000 to communities to remove trash, prevent illegal dumping, and jump start recycling programs

The New Mexico Environment Department announced the latest recipients of Recycling and Illegal Dumping (RAID) grants for fiscal year (FY) 2024.

Communities, counties, solid waste authorities and pueblos around the state — many in rural areas — will share ithe $751,489 in grant funding. The funds will help clean up illegal dumpsites, establish illegal dump prevention education, offset the cost of scrap tire collection and recycling, provide educational outreach on recycling, reuse scrap tires, use used oil as a heating source and implement or expand recycling programs.

In Sandoval County, the village of Jemez Springs was awarded $35,500. The village of Jemez Springs will be partnering with the Jemez Valley Recycling Center to complete the Jemez Valley Recycling Center and Jemez Sustainable Solutions project. This project will help provide new equipment and improvements to the facility that will allow the center to continue recycling corrugated cardboard and effectively manage additional recyclable materials.

The grant funding is made possible through a special revenue fund derived from a fee on motor vehicle registrations. Approximately $800,000 is available through the fund annually. Between 2006 and 2023, NMED awarded 364 RAID grants to communities totaling more than $11.9 million.

The application period for the grant program opens in February of each year. Grant recipients are selected by the 12-member RAID Alliance appointed by the Environment Department cabinet secretary. The grant program is managed by the Solid Waste Bureau within the New Mexico Environment Department.