EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 El Paso County leaders are celebrating the addition of new utility vehicles to the county\u2019s service fleet, aimed at helping crews reach remote areas to address illegal dumping and cleanup needs.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, the county was awarded $550,000 in federal funds to purchase new vehicles for its Rural Utility Service Vehicles Project, acquiring two tandem dump trucks and one bulk waste loader grappler truck<\/p>\n
Officials said the initiative is meant to expand the county\u2019s utility fleet to tackle illegal dumping in far areas of the county, as county officials said the project was identified as an important investment in solid waste and pollution prevention efforts. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is going to go a long way to helping us in doing cleanups,\u201d said El Paso County Commissioner Sergio Coronado, who represents West and Northeast El Paso.<\/p>\n
This comes as illegal dumping has become a growing problem in El Paso after city data showed a sharp increase in reported incidents in 2026.<\/p>\n
According to the City of El Paso’s Environmental Services Department, there have been 84 confirmed illegal dumping incidents so far in 2026.<\/p>\n
That’s significantly higher than the average of 32 incidents recorded annually over the past three years.<\/p>\n
El Paso Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, who funded the project through her Fiscal Year 2024 Community Project, said the vehicles will also support broader efforts to protect the region\u2019s environment and neighborhoods.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are the tools needed to keep the desert clean, the community clean, protect our water, protect our neighborhoods and our families,\u201d Escobar said.<\/p>\n
Local officials said the funding to purchase the vehicles came after Escobar submitted the project to the federal government through her office\u2019s community project funding requests. <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Coronado also said the vehicles will help after storms, as the vehicles are expected to supplement flood response operations and provide additional equipment for other county projects.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen flooding occurs, it brings down a lot of the trash and rocks, and these vehicles are going to help us with cleanup,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
County officials said the additional resources will help keep unincorporated communities accessible, attractive and safe for residents, including elderly residents and individuals with disabilities, while addressing health, safety and environmental concerns in rural and disproportionately impacted areas of El Paso County.<\/p>\n
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