Cooperative Agreement 02F51701

DESCRIPTION:THE AGREEMENT PROVIDES FUNDING TO NEW MEXICO ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT (NMED). SPECIFICALLY, THE RECIPIENT WILL FACILITATE COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION AMONG FEDERAL, STATE, COUNTY, REGIONAL AND TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS, AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO CARRY OUT A HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT (HIA). THE HIA MODEL WILL ENGAGE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND INFORM POLICY, REGULATION, PROGRAMS AND/OR ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS OF NMED TO HELP MITIGATE THE HEALTH IMPACTS ON UNDERSERVED AND VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN SAN JUAN COUNTY DUE TO HARMFUL EMISSIONS ASSOCIATED WITH RECYCLING FACILITIES. THE HIA PROCESS WILL BE REPLICATED IN SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO, WHICH ALSO HAS AN OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY PRESENCE, AND USED AS A MODEL TO PROMOTE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO ADDRESS OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ISSUES OF CONCERN.ACTIVITIES:THE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE PROVIDING TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT (HIA) STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO SOLICIT COMMUNITY SUPPORT, INPUT, AND DATA COLLECTION. THE ACTIVITIES ALSO INCLUDE SHARING EXISTING PROFILE DATA WITH THE HIA STEERING COMMITTEE AND COMMUNITY, GENERATING, AND DISSEMINATING AN HIA REPORT ON OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY EMISSIONS DATA, HEALTH IMPACTS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS. THEY WILL ALSO DETERMINE HEALTH IMPACTS TO EVALUATE AND ANALYZE THE METHODS AND WORKPLAN. FURTHER, THEY WILL PRESENT A DATA PROFILE, IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL DATA NEEDED, AND METHODS FOR DATA COLLECTION. THE RESEARCH WILL ENGAGE COMMUNITY IN DATA COLLECTION, ANALYSIS, AND PRIORITIZATION TO EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL HEALTH IMPACTS, IDENTIFY STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS HEALTH IMPACTS IDENTIFIED, TRACK THE IMPACT OF THE HIA ON DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES, AS WELL AS IMPACTS OF THE DECISION ON HEALTH DETERMINANTS. NEW MEXICO ALLIANCE OF HEALTH COUNCILS AND NEW MEXICO ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT WILL WORK WITH SOUTHEASTERN HEALTH COUNCILS TO BUILD CAPACITY FOR A FUTURE HIA, SHOWCASE A MODEL FOR FUTURE HIAS, AND IDENTIFY RESOURCES TO REPLICATE THE HIA IN SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO. SUBRECIPIENT:THE PRIMARY ROLES OF THE SUBRECIPIENTS INCLUDE DESIGNATING A REPRESENTATIVE TO BE A MEMBER OF THE HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT (HIA) STEERING COMMITTEE AND ATTENDING FOUR IN-PERSON TRAININGS/MEETINGS PER YEAR. IN ATTENDING MONTHLY HIA STEERING COMMITTEE MEETINGS TO PROVIDE INPUT TO HIA WORKPLANS, ACTIVITIES AND REPORT DEVELOPMENT, AND ASSISTANCE WITH IMPLEMENTATION OF HIA WORKPLAN, THEY WILL ENGAGE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AS APPROPRIATE, IN THE HIA PROCESS, AND ASSIST WITH DATA COLLECTION AND PRIORITIZATION. THE NEW MEXICO HEALTH EQUITY PARTNERSHIP (HEP) WILL PROVIDE TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND COACHING THROUGHOUT THE HIA PROCESS, WHICH WILL REQUIRE PARTNER STAFF TIME AND TRAVEL FOR PURPOSES OF GATHERING AND SHARING DATA WITH COMMUNITIES AND ENGAGING COMMUNITIES IN INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS. NEW MEXICO HEALTH EQUITY PARTNERSHIP'S PURPOSE IS TO STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITY OF COMMUNITIES TO SHIFT POWER RELATIONS AND ADVOCATE FOR POLICY AND SYSTEMS CHANGE. HEP CONNECTS PEOPLE, COMMUNITY GROUPS AND DECISION MAKERS TO ELEVATE THE COMMUNITY'S VOICE, SO RESIDENTS DRIVE CHANGE. FOR THE PAST DECADE, HEP HAS SUPPORTED OVER TWENTY HIAS ACROSS NEW MEXICO BY PROVIDING FUNDING, TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND TOOLS. THE ROLE OF HEP IS TO TRAIN THE STEERING COMMITTEE ON HIA STANDARDS AND PROCESSES, PROVIDE CURRICULUM AND TOOLS, AND TO GUIDE PARTICIPANTS THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. DINEACUTE; CITIZENS AGAINST RUINING OUR ENVIRONMENT (DINE C.A.R.E.) IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION LOCATED ON THE NAVAJO NATION. ESTABLISHED IN 1988, IT WORKS WITH MANY NAVAJO COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. THEIR MISSION IS TO ADVOCATE FOR TRADITIONAL NAVAJO TEACHINGS BY PROTECTING AND PROVIDING A VOICE FOR ALL LIFE WITHIN AND BEYOND THE FOUR SACRED MOUNTAINS AND TO PROMOTE REGENERATIVE AND SUSTAINABLE USES OF NATURAL RESOURCES CONSISTENT WITH THE DINEACUTE; PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE. PUBLIC EDUCATION, OUTREACH AND ORGANIZING HELP TO ENSURE THAT DINEACUTE; COMMUNITIES