Advocates Decry Tabling of Protect Our Water Fracking Waste Bill

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Commentary: Today (Monday, Feb. 15) New Mexico Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to table SB 86 after Chairman Joseph Cervantes (D-31) unprecedentedly silenced proponents of the bill from giving public comment in committee.

Allowing bill sponsor Senator Sedillo Lopez (D-16) 10 minutes to introduce her legislation and expert witnesses, Senate Judiciary Chairman Cervantes allowed 10 minutes for oil and gas industry lobbyists to present an “expert witness” panel while failing to provide proponents of the bill the same courtesy.

For every barrel of oil produced, industry produces 4-7 times as much toxic fracking waste euphemistically known as “produced water.”  Right now, produced water is leaking, spilling, and exploding daily across New Mexico contaminating land, air, and water.

Read Full Article in KRWG

‘Where Does that Toxic Waste Go?’

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Edgar from ProgressNow New Mexico posted this video on TicTok asking relevant questions  about produced water and disposal of toxic waste from oil and gas operations in New Mexico. The video was created in  support of Senate Bill 86 to protect our water.

#nm #greenscreen #voiceover #libs #dems #TurboTaxLivePick6 #fracking #conservation #oilandgas

 

@progressnownewmexicoSupport SB 86 to protect our water. #nm #greenscreen #voiceover #libs #dems #TurboTaxLivePick6 #fracking #conservation #oilandgas♬ original sound – PROGRESSNOWNM

Board Co-Chair Testifies Before Senate Conservation Panel

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Madam Chair and Senators, thank you for this opportunity to speak. My name is Ruth Striegel. I’m on the board of New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light. Our organization and many people of faith around the state support Senate Bill 86.

Water is sacred in all religious and spiritual traditions. Without water, there is no life. We are draining the aquifer under SE NM at an alarming rate. Once the water is gone, it will take hundreds of years to replace it. I have visited the Carlsbad area and spoken to farmers who see their water being drained away for use in fracking.

Tracking produced water and creating enforceable consequences for spills are important steps in keeping local communities healthy, now and in the future. We must work to protect the most vulnerable among us. SE NM is a beautiful place and must not become a sacrifice zone.

Thank You

AN ACT

RELATING TO NATURAL RESOURCES; PROHIBITING CERTAIN USES OF FRESH WATER IN OIL AND GAS OPERATIONS; PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR THE SPILL OR RELEASE OF OIL, GAS OR PRODUCED WATER; CREATING THE OIL CONSERVATION DIVISION DATA COMPILATION FUND; DIRECTING THE OIL CONSERVATION DIVISION OF THE ENERGY, MINERALS AND NATURAL RESOURCES DEPARTMENT TO ADOPT RULES RELATING TO PRODUCED WATER AND NONDOMESTIC WASTES THAT ARE PROTECTIVE OF PUBLIC HEALTH, WORKER SAFETY AND NATURAL RESOURCES; REQUIRING THE TRACKING OF PRODUCED WATER; ALPHABETIZING DEFINITIONS AND ADDING DEFINITIONS FOR “FRESH WATER”, “WATER POLLUTION”, “RECYCLED WATER” AND “TREATED WATER” TO THE OIL AND GAS ACT; AMENDING THE PRODUCED WATER ACT TO CONFORM TO CHANGES IN THE OIL AND GAS ACT; CLARIFYING REQUIREMENTS FOR WATER QUALITY CONTROL COMMISSION RULEMAKING RELATED TO THE USE OF PRODUCED WATER OUTSIDE OF THE OIL FIELD.