EDUCATION

SFCC receives $500,000 for enviro training program. The US Environmental Protection Agency this week announced $1 million in environmental cleanup funds for New Mexico, with half going to Santa Fe Community College to provide free tuition for the school’s environmental technical training program. “Santa Fe Community College is deeply honored to receive the $500,000 EPA Brownfields Job Training Grant,” SFCC President Becky Rowley says in a statement. “For years, SFCC has been at the forefront of offering EPA Brownfields job training, equipping individuals with the skills necessary for meaningful careers. This essential program not only tackles environmental justice issues but also fosters economic growth by providing family-sustaining wages.” The new grant, she says, will allow the college to “significantly enhance our regional collaborations with community and tribal stakeholders across seven northern New Mexico counties.” The funding comes through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and will equip “students with essential skills for future employment and [bolster] a skilled workforce to benefit our communities,” US Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-NM, says in a statement. The EPA awarded the other half of the so-called Brownfield grant money to Raton for environmental site assessment. “This is an important step toward a cleaner community for the residents of Raton and the economic development opportunities in their future,” US Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-NM, says in a statement.