Environment & Climate Change
Biden makes it official, designates sacred site in Nevada a national monument
After decades of work by Native American tribes in the Southwest, a culturally significant and sacred swath of land in Nevada finally gained permanent protections Tuesday. During a White House summit on conservation, President Joe Biden will announce the establishment of Nevada’s fourth national monument: Avi Kwa Ame, fulfilling a commitment he made last year. […]
Immediate action is needed to ensure ‘a livable future for all,’ UN report says
Current and future risks from climate change are far worse than previously estimated, but urgent action is still possible to “secure a liveable future for all.” That’s the message the world’s foremost authority on climate change delivered on Monday as it published the final part of its latest major assessment, a “synthesis” outlining the peril […]
A new law aims to strengthen rural water systems
Anita LaRan has sat on the board of her water system in Mora County that connects dozens of homes to clean water since 2008. A few hours south in San Ysidro, Ramón Lucero used to help run the system in the community where he raised his family and now works with people in the same […]
Navajo Nation water rights case heard before Supreme Court
The latest case involving Indian Country was argued Monday before the Supreme Court. Arizona v. Navajo Nation, like many cases heard before the high court, is complicated and this case in particular deals with the tribe’s water rights as it relates to the Colorado River. The two issues at hand are whether the U.S. Court […]
Many worry that companies are flouting New Mexico’s landmark gas flaring rules
CARLSBAD — On a recent afternoon, Kayley Shoup drove southeast out of Carlsbad through an area that was once ranchland. Today it’s a patchwork of compressor stations, tank batteries and drilling pads, testimony to the Permian Basin’s booming oil and gas industry. Cold wind whipped through creosote bushes lining the road. Transmission lines and flare […]
Few disaster relief measures are scattered throughout historic budget funding bills
While New Mexicans recovering from last year’s disasters try to keep up their livelihoods, afford food for dinner or get running water, it’s up to the governor now to determine how much recovery funds should be sent to victims and struggling communities. Lawmakers approved two budget bills on Wednesday, sending both over to Gov. Michelle […]
Bill at governor’s desk to require more expertise and diversity for state stream commissioners
Future New Mexicans who want to become commissioners at the Interstate Stream Commission will have to meet much more advanced and specific qualifications, if Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signs legislation that’s waiting on her desk. The House of Representatives quickly passed Senate Bill 58 with almost no discussion by a 63-6 vote on Tuesday. Six […]
Legislation to give low-income New Mexicans cheaper utility rates passes Senate
People with low incomes could have cheaper utility bills if legislation that senators approved on Tuesday can make it through the Roundhouse in four days. After discussions on Monday and Tuesday, the Senate passed the Low-Income Solar Act, Senate Bill 432, by a vote of 25-11. All the votes against the legislation were from Republican […]
A move to ban prescribed burns amid risky weather conditions is almost through the Roundhouse
Amid rapid-fire passage of bills through the House of Representatives on Tuesday, lawmakers passed legislation that would put a halt on prescribed burns whenever the National Weather Service puts out alerts about severe weather conditions. The House of Representatives unanimously passed Senate Bill 21 on Tuesday. Next, the Senate has to agree with amendments made […]
EPA proposes new rule to crack down on PFAS, forever chemicals in our water
This is a developing story. The EPA today announced its proposed maximum contaminant levels — MCLs– for six types of toxic PFAS in drinking water and acknowledged that no amount of these compounds is safe. “EPA anticipates if fully implemented the rule will prevent tens of thousands of serious PFAS-attributable illnesses or deaths,” the agency […]
Biden administration OKs Willow Arctic oil project on Alaska’s North Slope
The Biden administration on Monday approved Alaska’s largest oil and gas development in decades after a bipartisan lobbying effort by members of the state’s congressional delegation and the state Legislature. Though the project has broad support from elected officials in Alaska, it’s strongly opposed by environmental groups. Some are already planning a lawsuit to block […]
U.S. House votes to roll back Biden’s WOTUS rule
The U.S. House voted Thursday to undo a Biden administration definition of wetlands that allows for regulations on private lands. The chamber approved, 227-198, a resolution to roll back the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s broader definition of what qualifies as “waters of the United States,” or WOTUS, for the purposes of federal regulation under the […]