By Lauren Lifke
The New Mexico Environment Department received $2.8 million in federal funding to make steps toward cleaning up a historical dry cleaner site in Southeast Albuquerque, according to a news release.
In July, the Environmental Protection Agency confirmed that there are contaminants in the area of Carlisle Village Cleaners, according to CABQ. The site, located in the South Carlisle Shopping Village strip mall on Carlisle Boulevard near Gibson Boulevard, operated from 1953 to 2017.
The EPA testing in July confirmed that there are contaminants in homes, churches and commercial buildings in the area, where up to 257 people may be impacted. The site was added to its Superfund National Priorities List, which is a record of known sites that threaten human health and the environment because of the historic release of contaminants.
In a news release, Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) welcomed the nearly $2.8 million in funding to begin the site investigation to start the cleanup. Heinrich said it was made possible in part by the Infrastructure Law, which invests in the EPA’s cleanup work.
“I fought to pass the Infrastructure Law to make sure the federal government delivers on its responsibility to keep our communities safe,” Heinrich said in the release. “This site hits close to home for me — it was in my City Council district, just a few blocks from where I lived.”