DENVER — Crunchy brown grass overtaken by weeds. Rusted out chain link fences. Dilapidated dugouts. That’s what’s left behind in an old baseball field in north Denver.
But James Grevious has a vision for transforming this barren land in the city into an urban oasis.
“We want to be able to invite people in and actually have a sense of calmness and peace and serenity, if you will, around food and trees and folks,” he said.
Soon, his vision will be a reality, with help from the state.
Colorado communities hit hardest by environmental harms are getting new investments through government grants aimed at empowering residents to make their spaces healthier to live in.
Starting this week, eight groups across the state, including the nonprofit run by Grevious, will begin receiving support from Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
Colorado created these environmental justice grants in 2022 when state lawmakers decided to take money collected through fines and penalties against air pollution violators and pay it directly to affected communities working on solutions.
In the past, the money collected through air pollution penalties and fines went into Colorado’s general fund to pay for overall government operations. But starting in 2022, Colorado lawmakers set up a “community impact cash fund” so that a portion of that money could start going to communities.
Colorado has collected more than $17 million total through air penalties and fines since 2022, according to data provided by the CDPHE.
A breakdown of those funds by year shows Colorado is collecting more as time goes on. So far in 2024, Colorado has collected more than $10 million, compared to just under $5 million in 2023 and $1.8 million in 2022.
Read the rest of this story and watch the accompanying video at Denver7.com
Angelika Albaladejo 
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