June 27, 2023

Press  Release

Homestake/Barrick Gold Request for “Alternate Concentration Limits” at Grants Reclamation Project Not Accepted by NRC

Albuquerque, NM —The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently took the unusual step of denying a License Amendment Request from Homestake Mining Company for Alternative Concentration Limits, which allow corporations to avoid cleaning up contaminated groundwater to pre-operational conditions. …

Industry Filed 4 Meritless Motions to Disqualify Air Board Members for Alleged Bias

Mountain View Coalition’s Motion for the Air Board to Consider Alternative Recording Methods due to Exorbitant Costs to the Coalition for Hearing Transcription Was Approved

ALBUQUERQUE, NM—The Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board denied all four motions filed by industrial businesses attempting to disqualify three Air Board members and the Board in its entirety from participating in the upcoming rulemaking for a cumulative impacts regulation over air quality in Bernalillo County. The proposed regulation is called the Health, Environment & Equity Impacts (HEEI) Regulation and can be accessed here. …

ALBUQUERQUE, NM—The Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board approved a joint motion tonight to dismiss a request for a hearing on the merits for an air quality permit issued in October 2020 for New Mexico Terminal Services (NMTS) for a proposed hot mix  asphalt batch plant that would have operated in the Mountain View neighborhood. The vote was unanimous tonight, Wednesday, February 8, 2023.

December 16, 2022

Mountain View Coalition & NMELC Pleased with Last Night’s Decision

ALBUQUERQUE, NM—Community members were pleased when the Air Quality Control Board voted unanimously to hold a public hearing on the Mountain View Coalition and New Mexico Environmental Law Center’s proposed Health, Environment and Equity Impacts Regulation on Wednesday, December 14, 2022.

The meeting was held hybrid and approximately 50 people attended in person and nearly 70 people attended over zoom. Eighteen community members spoke during public comment in favor of the proposed equity impacts regulation and the need for a public hearing. Other community members submitted written comments in support; State Senator Linda Lopez submitted a letter of support which was read aloud during the meeting.

December 8, 2022

ALBUQUERQUE, NM—Diné and other Indigenous communities affected by uranium development took an important step on December 8, 2022, when they, with Law Center assistance, filed a request for a thematic hearing with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to present testimony about the ongoing human rights violations associated with uranium development….

November 21, 2022

ALBUQUERQUE, NM—Mountain View Coalition members—Mountain View Neighborhood Association, Mountain View Community Action & Friends of Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge—and the New Mexico Environmental Law Center will file their historic Health, Environment & Equity Impacts draft regulation to the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board on Monday, November 21st.

At 2pm on Monday, Nov. 21st, Mountain View Coalition, NMELC and community allies will gather at the Mountain View Community Center, 201 Prosperity Avenue SE, Albuquerque NM, to celebrate this historic moment in the long struggle for environmental justice in frontline impacted communities.

NMELC Senior Staff attorney Eric Jantz and Mountain View Coalition members will be on hand to speak about the draft regulation and to answer questions from the media. Copies of the draft regulation will be available at the event. The draft will not be made public until after the filing to the Air Quality Control Board on Monday, Nov. 21st. Community members and allies have been invited to come in support with signs. …

August 18, 2022

ALBUQUERQUE, NM—The Bernalillo County Commission voted 4-0 in favor of an amended Santolina Level A Master Plan and 3-0 to approve the Level B.II Master plan during their 4-hour-long hearing on Tuesday, August 16. Commissioner Pyskoty was absent for both votes, and Commissioner Barboa lost her internet connection during the second vote. She had indicated an intention to support both plans during the discussion….

Second Annual Green Amendment Day Tackles Environmental Injustice Through Collective Action

Yesterday, over one hundred environmental advocates from 23 states across the country gathered virtually to celebrate the Second Annual Green Amendment Day. Entitled “Green Amendments: Transforming Environmental Rights from Rhetoric to Reality,” programming aimed to shine a light on how enforceable environmental rights, in the form of constitutional Green Amendments, can help frontline communities’ address toxic pollution, environmental racism, climate injustice, and air and water pollution harming their communities….

Officials Ignore Pleas to Expand Access to Public Hearing 

Albuquerque, NM—The Bernalillo County Commission is refusing to provide the greatest accessibility to the public by not allowing the public to attend the upcoming Santolina hearing scheduled for June 28 at 2pm over Zoom as they have done in the past throughout the pandemic. This is despite multiple requests from immunocompromised community members who want to participate, but fear for their health during this time of rising Covid-19 cases in Bernalillo County and across the state of New Mexico. The public deserves the greatest accessibility to attend this public hearing and their public safety should be kept at the forefront during these ever-changing times. 

May 5, 2022

Access to electric vehicles addresses climate change and improves air quality

** RESOURCES: Spokespeople available upon request. **

SANTA FE – Today, the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board and the City of Albuquerque – Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board voted to adopt clean cars rules after public hearings on May 4 and 5. Adoption of the rules follows a robust stakeholder engagement process over the past year….

April 29, 2022

Court of Appeals Affirms District Court Denial of Appeals of Level B1 Master Plan and Level B1 Development Agreement

ALBUQUERQUE, NM—Opponents of the Santolina Development project responded today to the Court of Appeals decision handed out on Thursday, April 20, 2022, that affirmed the District Court decision denying their appeals of the Level B1 Master Plan and the Level B1 Development Agreement. …

April 19, 2022

WHAT: Press Conference (in-person)

WHEN: Wednesday, April 20, 2022 at 4:30pm (before the ABCWUA Meeting at 5pm)

WHERE: One Civic Plaza, outside entrance to City Govt Center, near Plaza Eatery

WHO: Local small farmers and acequia users

WHY: To respond to the baseless & irresponsible comments made by a sitting County Commissioner 

ALBUQUERQUE, NM—During a recent Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) meeting, Bernalillo County Commissioner Steven Michael Quezada made the following outrageous comment attacking our local farmers: “Farmers [in the middle Rio Grande] tend to be the biggest wasters of water.” He also claimed that this outrageous accusation was based on “research” that his office had conducted….

March 2, 2022 For Immediate Release Bernalillo County Planning Commission Votes 3-2 to Deny Santolina Level A Amended Master Plan & Level BII Master Plan Albuquerque, NM—In an unprecedented action, the Bernalillo County Planning Commission voted 3-2 to deny...

March 1, 2022 For Immediate Release Bernalillo County Planning Commission to Hold Hearing on Santolina Development Project Level A and Level BII Master Plans Albuquerque, NM--The Bernalillo County Planning Commission (CPC) is scheduled to hold a hearing on the...

December 13, 2021 Toxic Polluter Award for 2021 Goes to Hilcorp Energy Santa Fe, NM—The New Mexico Environmental Law Center (NMELC) announced the winners of its Annual Environmental Justice Awards for 2021. The winners were celebrated during the NMELC’s Annual Member...