Santa Fe, NM—More than 100 community members attended the three-day hearing on the proposed Air Quality Permit for Associated Asphalt & Material’s plant consolidation which was held before the NM Environmental Department and took place Monday, March 22 through Wednesday, March 25. Participants ranged in age from elementary school students at El Camino Real and Cesar Chavez, to seniors living in the impacted area. Every single member of the public who provided comment during the Public Hearing spoke against the permit except one.
Though the virtual hearing room was packed with community members concerned for their health and the environment, few members were given the opportunity to speak. After roughly a dozen community members were able to share their concerns about the inequities of permitting another polluting industry in their already overburdened neighborhood in Santa Fe’s Southside, members of the public were told that no further comments regarding health concerns, environmental justice, or noise would be heard. Among those who were not allowed to provide comment were numerous 5th graders from El Camino Real which is located next to the proposed location for the expanded plant.
There were also numerous problems with the language interpretation provided by NMED. …