Las Cruces councilor appointed to federal board

Las Cruces City Councilor Becky Corran, representing District 5, was appointed to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Local Government Advisory Committee.

The committee advises the federal regulatory agency and provides recommendations on “critical environmental issues impacting local governments,” according to the EPA.

Corran, who also teaches public and community health courses at Doña Ana Community College, was among 16 new appointments to the board in January, according to an EPA news release.

“Las Cruces is a leader in addressing climate impacts in New Mexico, and I hope to bring my experience as a public health professional and councilor to the EPA’s efforts to reverse climate change,” Corran said in a Las Cruces news release announcing the appointment.

Corran sits alongside fellow New Mexican official Christine Lowery, a Cibola County commissioner. According to the EPA, the 37-member committee is also the first in its 31-year history to be predominantly women.

According to the Las Cruces news release, the committee is set to discuss a newly proposed rule called the proposed Lead and Copper Rule Improvements. The rule seeks to find and replace all lead pipes in the U.S. within the next ten years.

Lead pipes were banned in the U.S. in 1980. However, the EPA believes over 9 million lead service lines are still in operation in U.S. water systems.

“These lead pipes have been hidden underground for decades and pose an ever-present risk to the health and wellbeing of Americans. These lead pipes remain disproportionately concentrated in low-income and people of color communities,” the EPA said in a fact sheet about the rule change.

The committee will also take up “the draft Strategy for Reducing Plastic Pollution, EPA’s efforts to develop a cumulative impact framework and to improve community-level communication and engagement on climate change issues,” according to the Las Cruces news release.

In an interview with the Las Cruces Bulletin, Corran said she looked forward to participating in the Strategy for Reducing Plastic Pollution.

“They’re really looking at systemic changes to the prevalence of plastics,” Corran said.

The strategy seeks to reduce the use of single-use plastic, expand compacity (a measure of compactness) for reusable plastics, increase plastic capture efforts and pursue other policy initiatives.