Sister Joan Brown, Kayley Shoup React to Updated Methane Rule

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Early this morning, President Biden and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an updated draft rule to cut methane and other harmful pollutants from oil and gas operations across the U.S. This proposal is an important step towards addressing the climate crisis, protecting the health and safety of communities across the country, and prioritizing the creation of quality, family-sustaining jobs – but there is more work to be done. Here are reactions from two important local leaders to this development.

“We all have an ethical and moral responsibility to care for our land, water, air and communities, which are sacred gifts. The EPA holds a particular public responsibility to address pollution from oil and gas industries and must adopt strong rules that cut pollution from flaring and small well sites. President Biden and the EPA have taken vital action to care for Our Common Home and those who are most vulnerable, whose voices and concerns are often not heard. People of faith are grateful for reforms that cherish life, and we look forward to ensuring the strongest possible rules are adopted in early 2023 that will phase out pollution from the wasteful practice of routine flaring which occurs throughout the Permian Basin.”  Sister Joan Brown, Executive Director, New Mexico and El Paso Region Interfaith Power and Light
“This revised draft rule is a welcome reprieve to those of us living in the most prolific oil field in the United States, the Permian Basin. This rule raises the bar on the use of zero-emitting equipment and will finally clamp down on emission from abandoned wells. EPA should build upon the strong foundation of this rule by following the  lead of New Mexico and strictly limit pollution from routine flaring across the Permian Basin. Pollution doesn’t stop at the state border, and New Mexico alone cannot solve the pollution issue for those of us in frontline communities of the Permian Basin. We hope that these rules can be implemented and enforced swiftly, as the Permian faces down ozone pollution levels that are in violation of the Clean Air Act.”
Kayley Shoup, Organizer, Citizens Caring for the Future 

Video from 350NM Speaker Series: “Living with Oil Wells as Neighbors”

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What is it like to live in the Permian basin next to oil wells? How can we update the 1935 Oil and Gas Act to make it safer for the people living there? Join activists Kayley Shoup and Tannis Fox on this video recorded Oct 24, 2022 to find out.

Ann T. McCartney: Oil and gas industry needs to clean up mess

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In good conscience, as oil and gas operators are realizing record profits, they should step up to clean up after themselves and act as better neighbors to New Mexico communities. People of faith and conscience are working now for strong federal rules for pollution that follow New Mexico’s lead.

Ann McCartney, co-chair of the board of New Mexico El Paso Interfaith Power & Light,  had a letter to the editor published  in the Valencia County News-Bulletin on Thursday, September 8. The same letter was published in the Albuquerque Journal on Monday, September 12. Here is an excerpt followed by a link to the full letter in the Valencia County newspaper.

I am very concerned about the health of communities in New Mexico suffering from ill effects of oil and gas.

As a board member of Interfaith Power and Light, our faith communities and people of faith and conscience worked hard on the oil and gas air pollution rules finalized earlier this year by the Environmental Improvement Board.

We offered many comments and spoke in public hearings for rules to address spills, leaks, venting and flaring, which take a toll on all New Mexicans’ health and access to clean air and water. The rules passed by EIB were an important step and safeguard for New Mexicans.

The news that the Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico (IPANM) intends to sue the state to reverse key provisions of the rules was very disheartening after such a long public process. Industry was part of the long rule-making process. As an ordinary person, I do not understand why IPANM would want to harm the health of our communities — except out of greed.

Read Full Letter