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Making a Visible Difference in Communities: Arizona

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Phoenix, AZ

Gila River Indian Country

EPA is partnering with the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) to further the tribe’s sustainability goals around:

  • buildings and housing
  • energy
  • cleaner transportation
  • sustainable materials management

Located near Phoenix, Arizona, the tribe’s land base of 372,000 acres is substantial. Land uses include government offices, economic development (hotels, casinos, industrial park, agriculture), and open space.

As Phoenix continues to expand, we expect GRIC to face increasing pressures on development, housing, and transportation. EPA is providing technical assistance to: 

  • develop and adopt green building codes with an emphasis on water/energy efficiency and rooftop solar applications
  • an assessment of current material recycling and waste diversion rates to identify opportunities to increase recycling rates and new recycling streams on the reservation
  • a technical assistance workshop on the impacts of diesel emissions from various industrial sectors on and around GRIC. The technical assistance will inform participants of the threats to human health caused by diesel particulates and outline strategies for reducing diesel emissions within fleets and equipment.

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