See a list of priority bills for the current session that the Rio Grande Chapter is for the 2022 legislative session.
Greater Chaco Coalition Demands More Than Piece-Meal Protection in Response to 10-Mile Buffer
Despite applauding President Joe Biden and Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s announcement in November to protect the Greater Chaco Landscape through a still-undefined “Honoring Chaco” process, members of the Greater Chaco Coalition are tempering their enthusiasm for the Department of Interior’s notice today of a 90-day public comment process surrounding the 20 year administrative withdrawal of federal minerals from future oil and gas leasing within a 10-mile buffer around Chaco Culture National Park, as the administration has reneged on its promise to end federal fossil fuel leasing, and as Bureau of Land Management moves to finalize its massive fracking plan for the region and broader landscape protection efforts have yet to begin.
NM Supreme Court Rules ETA Constitutional
The New Mexico Supreme Court today rejected New Energy Economy’s challenges to the constitutionality of the Energy Transition Act (ETA) and upheld the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (PRC) decision relating to the coal-fired San Juan Generating Station. These rulings end months of delays in sending transition funds to communities and issuing bonds that will reduce customer costs.
Environmental Leaders Respond to LFC’s Budget Request
On January 6, the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee unveiled its budget proposal for consideration in the 2022 legislative session. The Committee proposed a $8.46 billion budget plan that fails to address the severity of the climate crisis by underfunding critical programming, investing in fossil fuel projects, and drastically cutting the essential budgets for environmental regulators.
2021 Election Roundup (with Albuquerque runoffs still pending)
Thanks to everyone who voted in the 2021 local elections, and a super big thanks to all of you who got out and worked for the election of our endorsed candidates. The results were mostly good, but with some disappointments.
If you live in Albuquerque Council Districts 7 or 9, it’s urgent you vote in the December 7 runoff!
If you live in Albuquerque District 7 or District 9, it’s urgent that you vote! This is a nonpartisan election, but both of the candidates endorsed by the Sierra Club are Democrats running against Republicans. In the last City runoff election, the Republican vote dropped off 18% from the general election vote, while the Democratic vote dropped off 32%. That’s the difference between winning and losing these races. So far, in Rob Grilley’s race, Republicans are outvoting Democrats. 46.7% of the votes have been cast by Republicans, while only 40% have been cast by Democrats.
Analysis of EPA’s New Proposed Methane Safeguards
On November 2, policy experts, frontline leaders, and corporate accountability advocates joined a press briefing to respond to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed new Clean Air Act safeguards to reduce methane and other harmful pollutants from new and existing sources in the oil and natural gas industry which were announced earlier today.
Opposed by Texas, border nuke site still gets NRC permit
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved the WCS/ISP high-level “temporary” storage for used fuel rods from commercial nuclear reactors. These fuel cores remain extremely radioactive for a million years, despite objections from both Texas and New Mexico governors. This site is 5 miles from Eunice, NM, the largest nearby city.
NM dairy agrees to pollution-cleanup plan
After two years of negotiations, Del Oro Dairy in Anthony, NM, has agreed to several modifications to its original plan to capture polluted shallow groundwater from beneath its facility. This revised plan is the culmination of efforts between the New Mexico Environment Department’s Groundwater Quality Bureau, the New Mexico Citizens Dairy Coalition and Del Oro. It represents the hope that this plan spells the end for the shallow-water pollution plume that is already under residential neighborhoods and has been contributing to the larger pollution plume produced by the dozen or so dairies along Dairy Row on I-10 around Anthony.
Protecting sacred places and water of Pecos
For over 900 miles, the Pecos River stretches from its high-elevation headwaters in the Pecos Wilderness south through Tecolote, Santa Rosa, Roswell, Carlsbad and across the border to Pecos, Texas. It is the life-blood of eastern New Mexico towns, ranches, farms and natural landscapes. Permitted use of the water for industrial development has been low ever since the Terrero Mine and Molino closed in 1950 and was designated as a “Superfund-level” site in 1995. Over $38 million and 20 years of reclamation later, the Pecos River is again threatened by Australian mining company New World Resources to start exploratory drilling.