Faith Leaders Urge EPA to Take Strong Action on Methane Emissions

Dear Environmental Protection Agency

Re: EPA Oil and Gas Methane Rules:  Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0317

As faith leaders from New Mexico and El Paso, Texas, region we thank you for the proposed methane rules for new and existing oil and gas wells. However, given the severity of climate change and concerns for the health and well-being of frontline communities in the oil and gas extraction areas we believe these proposed rules need to be stronger.

Each of our faith traditions is founded on the command to love our brothers and sisters and sacred creation. Before the recent UN Climate Conference of Parties 26 in Glasgow, faith leaders from twenty nations met to address the greatest ethical and moral concern of our time, climate change. The document from this conference of religious leaders representing 75% of the world’s population stated, “We are currently at a moment of opportunity and truth. We pray that our human family may unite to save our common home before it is too late,” the declaration read. “Future generations will never forgive us if we squander this precious opportunity.”

Creating strong methane rules is one action that could have a large impact upon carbon emissions because this source is up to 86 times more potent than other sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Polling from the Environmental Defense Fund shows that 71% of voters in the United States support the U.S. strengthening rules to reduce oil and gas methane pollution including by requiring frequent inspections at smaller leak prone wells. EPA serves the public, and therefore must put in place comprehensive, loophole-free methane safeguards.

The Permian Basin in Southeast New Mexico and Southwest Texas is the number one source of methane pollution in the country and our public health is being directly affected by these emissions. Frontline communities currently suffer from the health effects of pollution which in our region are experienced disproportionately by the most vulnerable and the young who are part of Native American, Latinx and lower income communities.

Health harming and carcinogenic VOCs are emitted along with methane. In order to protect public health loopholes such as exemptions for lower potential emissions wells must be closed.  Our faith traditions call us to care about and work in solidarity with frontline communities on these concerns.

As faith leaders we work with communities and we hear their concerns and see them firsthand. We are responsible for moral and ethical leadership that extends into future generations. Some of us have written to the EPA before and testified in support of strong rules over the past 10 years. We can wait no longer. We must act for Our Common Home, our communities and future generations.

In Peace and good,

Undersigned Faith Leaders

Sr. Joan Brown, osf, Executive Director, New Mexico & El Paso Region Interfaith Power and Light

Rev. Lynne Hinton, Executive Director, New Mexico Conference of Churches

Archbishop John C. Wester, Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe, NM

Sr. Rose Marie Cecchini, MM, Director, Office of Peace, Justice & Creation, Catholic Charities of, Gallup

The Rt Rev Michael B Hunn, Bishop The Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande

The Rev. Dr. William M. Lyons, Conference Minister, Southwest Conference of the United Church of Christ

Bishop David Bailey- Epicopal Church Navajoland-Farmington New Mexico

Rev. Joan Halifax Upaya Zen Center Santa Fe, NM

Idolia Hawkins, Chair, Green Team NM Conference United Methodist Women

Presbytery of Santa Fe Earth Care Team, New Mexico

Tanya Barlow, United Methodist Women Conference VP, Ruidoso, NM

Samia Assed, New Mexico Islamic Center and founder and chair- NMWM

Joan Rieck, Zen Teacher, Albuquerque Sanbo Zen International, Albuquerque, NM

The Rev. Holly Beaumont, D.Min., Organizing Director, Interfaith Worker Justice -NM

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Rev. Anita Amstutz, Mennonite Church USA, Albuquerque, NM

Azrael Arynn K, High Priestess of Wicca, Ladywood Tradition, co-founder, Ardantane, NM

The Rev. Virginia Bairby, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church of Taos, NM

Rev. Edward Barlow, Retired pastor of the Methodist church, Ruidoso, NM

Rev. Karen Bash, United Church of Christ,  Albuquerque, NM

Kevin Bean, Chair Creation Care Committee, St. John XXIII Catholic Community, Albuquerque, NM

Rev. Lawrence Bernard, OFM, St. Peter Friary, Roswell, NM

Rev. Andrew Black, EarthKeepers 360, Santa Fe, NM

Rev. Vangie Chavez, Albuquerque, NM

Rabbi Paul J Citrin, retired, Albuquerque, NM

Karen Cox, Administrator, Las Placitas Presbyterian Church, Placitas, NM

Rev. Dr. Kenneth Cuthbertson, PCUSA, Retired, Albuquerque, NM

Deacon J. Andy Dimas, St. Anne Parish, Santa Fe, NM

Rev. Susan Gaffney, retired hospice chaplain, UCC, Albuquerque

Sr. Maria Isabel Galbe, Religious of the Assumption, Chaparral, NM

Rt. Rev. Joel P. Garner, O.Praem., Abbot ,Santa Maria de la Vid Abbey, Albuquerque, NM

Fr. Gene Gries, O. Praem., Santa Maria de la Vid Abbey, Albuquerque, NM

Rev. Jeremiah Griffin, Pastor, St. Chad’s Episcopal Church, Albuquerque, NM

Don Handrick, Sr. Buddhist Teacher, Found. Preservation Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), Santa Fe, NM

Rev. Gene Harbaugh, retired Presbyterian, Carlsbad, NM

Rev. Stephanie Harmon, United Methodist clergy, retired, Carlsbad, NM

Rev. Drew Henry, Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Albuquerque, NM

The Rev. Angela Herrera, Senior Minister, First Unitarian Church, Albuquerque, NM

Rev. Dr. Paul Hopkins, retired Disciples of Christ clergy, Albuquerque, NM

Marlin Johnson, Earth Care Committee, Las Placitas Presbyterian, Placitas, NM

Rev Sue Joiner, First Congregational UCC, Albuquerque, NM

The Rev. B. Gail Joralemon, United Church of Christ, Albuquerque, NM

Amber K, High Priestess of Wicca, Ladywood Tradition, co-founder, Ardantane, NM

Ed Katzenberger, retired Presbyterian minister, Albuquerque, NM

Rev. Lorelei Kay, Presbyterian Church (USA), Albuquerque, NM

Jan Krakow, Deacon Retired, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Albuquerque. NM

John Kretzmann,  Santa Fe Friends Meeting (Quakers),   clerk, Santa Fe, NM

Nicholas King, Pastor Carlsbad Mennonite Church, Carlsbad, NM

Rev. Gary Kowalski, Unitarian Congregation of Taos, Taos, NM

The Rev. Bob LaVallee, Associate Minister, First Unitarian Church, Albuquerque, NM

Rev. Alexander Lenzo, Rector, St Francis Episcopal Church, Rio Rancho, NM

Rev Judith Marshal, Unity Spiritual Center Minister retired, Albuquerque, NM

Mark Maynard, First United Presbyterian Church, Albuquerque, NM

Rev. Carolyn Metzler, Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande, Datil, NM

Dr. Stephen J. Miller, Disciples of Christ pastor, retired, Albuquerque, NM

Rev. Sylvia Miller-Mutia  Associate Rector, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Albuquerque, NM

Carol Morrison, Board Chair, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Silver City, NM

Sr. Nha Trang Nguyen, Religious of the Assumption, Chaparral, NM

Dr. Kathleen OMalley, Buddhist. Albuquerque, NM

Richard Padberg, Embudo Presbyterian Church, Dixon, NM