CURRENT PRESS RELEASE
Water Win for Southern New Mexico! Court Ruling Protects San Augustin Plains Groundwater from Out-of-State Water Grab
Thursday, April 11, 2024
Water Win for Southern New Mexico!
Court Ruling Protects San Augustin Plains Groundwater from Out-of-State Water Grab
Reserve, NM —On Friday, April 5, Judge Roscoe Woods of the 7th Judicial District ruled from the bench that the New Mexico State Engineer was correct in denying Augustin Plains Ranch (APR) LLC’s application to mine and hoard tens of thousands of gallons per year of San Augustin Plains groundwater.
The judge’s decision was based on the fact that the application is speculative—ruling that APR failed to demonstrate an imperative need for the groundwater exists and failed to show that APR would be able to put the water to any beneficial use—a requirement under the New Mexico State Constitution.
In a standing-room-only courtroom, a hundred community members heard the arguments of several attorneys awaiting a ruling on APR’s request to pump 54,000 acre feet per year of groundwater from San Augustin Plains, a closed basin (all water that falls in the basin stays in the basin) in southern New Mexico which will not be recharged by perennial streams.
Read full release
Past Press Releases
New Mexico Terminal Services Air Pollution Permit Revoked by City
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.
Air Quality Control Board Votes Unanimously to Hold a Public Hearing on Proposed Equity Impacts Regulation
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.
NMELC & ENDAUM Submit Request for Thematic Hearing to IACHR
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….
Mountain View Coalition & NMELC Announce the Filing of Historic Health, Environment & Equity Impacts Regulation to ABQ-BernCo Air Quality Control Board
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. …
Community Responds to Bernalillo County Commission Approval of Santolina Tire Dump
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….
2nd Annual National Green Amendment Day Tackles Environmental Injustice Through Collective Action
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….
Bernalillo County Refuses to Hold Santolina Hearing Online
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.
NM Adopts Clean Cars Standards
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….
Santolina Opponents Remain Determined After Disappointing Court of Appeals Decision
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. …
Local Small Farmers Respond to County Commissioner’s Outrageous Attacks
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….
Santolina Development Thwarted Again by Community Opposition
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...
Community Opposition Continues to Massive Piecemeal Santolina Development Project
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...
NMELC Announces Recipients of its EJ Awards for 2021
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...
Bernalillo County Planning Commission Defers Santolina Another 90 Days
December 2, 2021 Albuquerque, NM -- The Bernalillo County Planning Commission (CPC) on December 1st voted to defer for 90 days its consideration of the Amended Level A Master Plan and the Level B.II Master Plan for the long-proposed but never built Santolina...
ENDAUM v. US Case Reaches Important Milestone with Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
October 20, 2021
ENDAUM v. United States Government Case Reaches Important Milestone with Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, USA—Eastern Navajo Diné Against Uranium Mining (ENDAUM) announced today it will file its Additional Observations on the Merits including written and video testimony and other exhibits to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) based in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Oct. 21.
ENDAUM’s petition states that when the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensed Hydro Resources, Inc. (HRI) (now known as NuFuels, a subsidiary of the Canadian mining company Laramide Resources) to operate uranium mining in the two Diné (Navajo) communities of Crownpoint and Churchrock it violated human rights guaranteed in the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man, including the rights to life, health, benefits of culture, fair trial, and property….