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$1.2 million grant from the U.S. 能源部将改变环境科学，环境正义教育在FLC
The grant, renewable for up to five years, will fund an Environmental Science and Justice Laboratory, Environmental Justice Center, Climatology Lab, Ozone Garden, and heavy metals lab, and provide housing and internship stipends for qualifying students.
DURANGO, Colo.— For the last ten years, Environmental Sciences at FLC have been experiencing the growing pains of a new program, including sharing space with other units and not having a place to call home.
That’s about to change thanks to a $1.2 million grant —renewable for up to five years— from the U.S. Department of Department of Energy, Office of Legacy Management.
这笔拨款将资助几个项目，包括新的环境科学与司法实验室. Housed at Berndt Hall, it includes a general sciences lab, soil and water labs, and an Environmental Justice Center where students and community members can gather to study, build community, and organize events. 
“This grant will allow FLC to transform our environmental education, 在FLC内外提供更多的实践学习和跨学科合作的机会,” said Jared Beeton, PhD, chair and associate professor of the Department of Environment & Sustainability.
拨款还将资助与工程系合作的气候学实验室和臭氧花园以及与化学系合作的重金属实验室. In addition, 为符合条件的学生和一名环境科学与司法研究协调员提供环境正义补助金、住房和实习津贴.
比顿指出，四角地区的边缘人群和部落社区受到污染的影响尤为严重.
“能源部的慷慨资助也将帮助FLC成为四角地区环境正义教育的社区资源，通过有意地建立我们围绕环境正义和环境种族主义理念的研究和社区推广能力,” he said.
“我们特别感兴趣的是接触到受到该地区污染不成比例影响的社区, including Indigenous communities, and give them a stronger voice in the scientific research on campus.”
Environmental justice and mining
Joslynn Lee, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Chemistry, worked on the grant as the co-investigator for the Heavy Metals Laboratory.
李说，四角地区的采矿历史与环境不公正密切相关, 从长远来看，研究河流的健康状况将有助于提供更多关于它们如何影响依赖它们的社区的信息.
Lee, 他的工作包括研究沿纳瓦霍民族的阿尼玛斯河和圣胡安河的微生物群落, 她对从杜兰戈北部流入当地水道系统的酸性矿井污水的影响很感兴趣.
In developing the grant, 她帮助确保了一台电感耦合等离子体质谱计(ICP-MS)仪器，该仪器将帮助监测金属浓度，作为全年河流健康状况的指标, something that before was cost-prohibitive.
李说，很少有研究关注采矿对河流下游社区的影响.
“With the Heavy Metals Lab's new instrumentation, 我们将能够测量不同金属的存在，不仅是百万分之一，而且是万亿分之一(ppt)和十亿分之一(ppb), so very small concentrations. And we’ll be able to capture that throughout the year at a more feasible cost, she said.
“One way to look at river health is by identifying who's living there. As we look at the ecosystem, everything relies on one another. If there are more bacteria (in one area) and increased metals, 这可以为我们提供水质差的指标，然后将其与对鱼类或其他大型无脊椎动物的影响联系起来. 我认为这将与我们地区所有采矿的环境不公正有关.”
Training the new generation
Lee said that come July, 她将通过环境正义实习培训几名学生，其中包括两名土著学生, while other Chemistry professors plan to utilize the instrument to update their research.
“After they leave Fort Lewis College, the students will be able to say: I've been trained in this type of instrumentation, and I can get a job after they leave,” she said. “因此，我们不仅增加了研究，而且还提高了训练学生使用这些仪器的能力, and will be collaborating with environmental science, biology, physics, and engineering students also who want to be able to access the instruments.”
李还协调了化学教师的培训，以维持仪器，并参与了春季学生实习和住房奖学金的选择过程.
Greenhouse gases and plants
Joanna Gordon Casey, PhD, a professor of physics and engineering, 领导工程学系气候学实验室和臭氧园的发展. The garden will initially focus on air quality and as more instruments are added, climatology.
Students will measure air pollution with specialized instruments to measure ozone, particulate matter, and carbon dioxide. 这些仪器将被放置在几个植物床附近，这些植物床被认为是空气污染的生物指示器.
“Air pollution and its impacts on human and the environment are often not visible,” Casey said. “One hope for this garden is to make some of these impacts more visible and tangible.” 
凯西指出，南乌特印第安部落的环境项目部在该地区设有三个复杂的监管监测站, but none are in Durango.
Data from the instruments will be available to the community online. However, 这些数据旨在具有教育意义，并允许学生探索趋势，而不是作为监管措施.
“这个项目将为FLC的学生提供许多新的机会，参与与空气质量有关的研究活动，以及空气污染与植物生产力之间的联系,” Casey said.
“我们希望这个空气质量花园将成为许多新的跨学科项目的催化剂，并为FLC学生提供一个场所，让他们参与更广泛的社区，了解空气污染和减少接触的策略。.”
Making environmental studies accessible
Beeton said that each semester, 助学金的社会正义部分为16名在社会经济困难中挣扎的学生提供住房. 学生可以选择任何专业，但必须以某种方式学习环境正义或环境科学.
“It’s difficult to focus on your education if you don't have a place to live,” said Beeton.
Stipends are also available for otherwise unpaid internships with an environmental focus. Students can earn $15.每小时50美元，你可以在校园里做研究实习，也可以在非营利机构或政府机构实习，比如美国大学.S. Forest Service or National Park Service.
So far, 24 students have received paid internships, 10 in the Spring and 14 in the Summer.
Maggie Magierski was hired on the grant as Environmental Experiential Learning Coordinator. 玛吉斯基将组织实地考察和其他活动，重点是体验式学习和校园社区花园.
“我们的学生在一个完美的自然实验室进行跨学科的环境研究, with the Animas River, San Juan mountains, wetlands, glacial deposits, alpine tundra, and deserts of the Southwest,” Beeton said.
“他们热衷于更好地理解复杂的环境系统和人与环境的相互作用. 我们很高兴这笔拨款将帮助我们扩大他们的教育经验，并使我们能够与更大的社区分享我们的努力.”