Tuesday, September 17, 2024
Residents Ask What Actions State will Take to Address Water Crisis
SUNLAND PARK, NM—On Monday, September 16, 2024, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) held a public town hall in Sunland Park, New Mexico, about the ongoing water crisis and service issues by the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority (CRRUA).
NMED Secretary James Kenney moderated the meeting, which ran about two and a half hours long, was streamed live and can be viewed here. Neither NMED nor NMDOH staff made presentations on health impacts of arsenic, which had been in the promotional materials for the Town Hall. The entire Town Hall consisted of taking questions and comments from audience members in the packed auditorium. Residents shared stories and directed their disappointment and frustration at state officials for dodging responsibility, passing the buck, lacking transparency, and taking too long to fix the water crisis problems.
Sunland Park resident and NMELC client José Saldana said, “The Governor promised us that the increase of the water was not going to happen. She promised us, the community, that she was going to stop the increase of the water bill and nothing has happened. So that’s why we made this meeting. And they should increase the water rates to the dispensaries and to the landfill.”…
Read full report.