NMIPL IN THE NEWS

My View Kayley Shoup: Legal attack on new rules risks people’s health

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(Excerpt from opinion piece published on Aug. 20 in The New Mexican in Santa Fe)

By Kayley Shoup

New Mexico’s groundbreaking rules to improve air quality by limiting air pollution from the oil and gas industry just took effect this month, and already the Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico has launched a legal attack against them.

Make no mistake — this legal wrangling and foot-dragging from this association is not only bad for our air, it also wastes time and money that producers should be using to cut pollution. It is also a direct threat to the health of families in the Permian Basin because it could allow oil and gas operators to walk away from their responsibility to clean up after themselves and reduce the impacts on their workers, neighboring communities and all New Mexicans.

When the American Lung Association’s 2021 State of the Air Report gave failing grades for ozone pollution to New Mexico’s Eddy, Lea and San Juan counties, it was a wake-up call about the need for strong state regulations to tackle air pollution from the oil and gas industry. With the leadership of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, the state Environment Department responded by developing nation-leading ozone precursor rules with the input of the oil and gas industry and New Mexicans from across the state. Major operators, including Occidental Petroleum, support the state’s approach, again highlighting how far out of the mainstream the Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico is on this issue.

Read full article

Kayley Shoup was born and raised in Carlsbad, where she now works as a community organizer with Citizens Caring for the Future, (an affiliate of New Mexico El Paso Region Interfaith Power & Light).

Desert Willows, New Mexico Olives, Shrubs Available

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New Mexico El Paso Interfaith Power & Light has received several dozen requests for free desert willows, New Mexico Olive trees and shrubs. The trees and shrubs are provided via our Forest of Bliss  project. We are taking orders until Saturday, August 20, so hurry and make your request this week.

Send a note to Ann McCartney, asims98891@aol.com

 

We Celebrate Approval of the Inflation Reduction Act; We Lament its Deficiencies

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(On Friday afternoon, the House of Representatives approved the Inflation Reduction Act–which contains historic investments to mitigate climate change–by a vote of 220-207. The vote follows a similar approval in the Senate last weekend. A White House spokesperson said President Joe Biden is expected to sign the measure next week.  Here is our take on this legislation).

Interfaith Power and Light of New Mexico and El Paso region has worked  hard to get climate legislation at the federal level. While we are  pleased that there will be movement toward reduction of carbon emissions  and toward new energy, jobs, and even help with health care for our  region through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), we are very  disheartened by the compromises for oil, gas and nuclear that so adversely affect our frontline neighbors in our region.

We are committed to continue to  work with our frontline neighbors to address concerns of pollution, health, and impairment of water, land and air in communities affected by  oil and gas extraction that seems geared for profit for a few.

In addition, we  are grateful that the United States will have something to take to the  United Nations International table as we work as a global community. The  IRA will help us toward goals to mitigate the most harmful effects of  runaway global warming for those most vulnerable and suffering around  the world from floods, droughts, unprecedented storms, sea level and growing food insecurity and famine. We are committed to continue to  work with our frontline neighbors to address concerns of pollution, health, and impairment of water, land and air in communities affected by  oil and gas extraction that seems geared for profit for a few.
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As the  book of Deuteronomy states, “I have set before you today death and life,  choose life that you and future generations might live.”  As an  Interfaith community we work to address climate change in so many ways.  We choose life, though sometimes the choices require very difficult  compromises that we carry as we continue to work for greater equity and  loving actions for life.

Sister Joan Brown, osf
Director, Interfaith Power and Light, New Mexico and El Paso region

Carlsbad Current Argus. Sep. 3, 2020 New Mexico finalizes oil and gas wastewater regulations, lawmakers hear testimony (Rev. Nick King Quoted)

Las Cruces Sun-News,  Aug. 19, 2020, Report on solving climate crisis brings hope (Co-authored by Michael Sells, Clara Sims and Edith Yanez)

Santa Fe New Mexican, Aug. 15, 2020 Vote your values this November  (Commentary by Larry Rasmussen and Tabitha Arnold)