Pinyon, in partnership with Lotus Sustainability, offered grant writing services for Commerce City to apply to Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) Environmental Justice grant program. All the required application documents were prepared, reviewed and submitted in partnership with Commerce City and the relevant project partners. This grant program aims to help communities disproportionately affected by pollution and climate change. The grants focus on various environmental topics, including air and water quality, waste management, climate change, and land use.

The City of Commerce City’s (C3) 2045 Vision aims for a thriving, economically strong, environmentally sustainable, and socially equitable community. To support this, the City established the Division of Energy, Equity, and the Environment (E3) to address significant environmental challenges, such as higher particle pollution and respiratory issues, which disproportionately affect the community.

As part of its efforts, E3 has focused on improving soil quality through sampling and remediation services, aligning with the community’s priorities outlined in the 2023 Sustainability Action Plan. In this proposed initiative, E3 partners with the Spirit of the Sun (SotS), a community organization dedicated to environmental restoration. SotS empowers youth by training them in restorative and permaculture practices to combat soil contamination and environmental degradation in the city. The project would also include preliminary soil assessments and analysis completed by Pinyon. This project reflects the shared goals of the City and E3 to foster a healthier environment.