Making Our Voices Heard at State Hearings on Methane Waste

We have worked for years to get methane rules to address methane pollution that affects the health and environment in NM. At the start of 2021, we have been offered the opportunity to make our voices heard.

This week, the State Oil Conservation Commission began two weeks of remote online hearings for the proposed rules to reduce methane waste in the oil and gas industry.

Under the state’s proposed rule, oil and gas operators would need to meet a 98% gas capture rate by the end of 2026 under the proposed rule. Some environmental organizations argue that six years is too long of a period to reduce emissions.

Citizens Caring for the Future and New Mexico Interfaith Power & Light have encouraged members and supporters to participate in these hearings and add to these concerns.

“My point is simple. The proposed rule is a step in the right direction, but it does not go far enough. Known violators are allowed to continue violating without sufficient restrictions, and exceptions to the rule allow too many loopholes through which toxic emissions may continue to be allowed,” said Rev. David Wilson Rogers of Carlsbad.

“I am so happy to see that you are making changes to help my home be a bit safer, but I feel that it is not enough. I have seen over and over again that oil and gas operators continue to harm us and our environment. Even if they are caught with leaks or spills they continue to operate in the same unsafe manner. I feel this is because there is not enough incentive for them to make diligent efforts to operate safely, said Penny Aucoin, a resident of Otis, N.M., just outside of Carlsbad.

You can find the full comments from Rev. Wilson Rogers and Penny Aucoin on this site. We will be adding other comments as we receive them.

In the meantime, read coverage of the hearings in The Albuquerque Journal, The Carlsbad Current Argus, and The Santa Fe New Mexican. We will also post updated media coverage in the next couple of weeks.