JANUARYFEBRUARY 2021

GREENFIRETIMESCOMVOLUME 13 NUMBER 1

NEW MEXICO 2021 ISSUES TO WATCH

RESILIENCE RESISTANCE amp RECOVERY VISIONS FOR TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE

TOP-10 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES bull VOICES FROM NMrsquos SOCIAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT

PUBLISHER GREEN EARTH PUBLISHING LLC

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SETH ROFFMAN EDITORGREENFIRETIMESCOM

GUEST ASSOCIATE EDITORS MARY ANN MAESTAS BIANCA SOPOCI-BELKNAP

DESIGN WITCREATIVE

COPY EDITOR STEPHEN KLINGER

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS MIGUEL ANGEL ACOSTA CASTILLE AGUILAR MIYA

CHAacuteVEZ JANET GREENWALD SELINDA GUERRERO SENECA JOHNSON LYLA JUNE

JOHNSTON EMMA LAWRENCE ADRIEN LAWYER ANDREW LOVATO MARY ANN

MAESTAS ANJAMORA MATO WARREN MONTOYA KATHERINE MORTIMER AVIVA

NATHAN DR VIRGINIA NECOCHEA ELENA ORTIZ JACLYN ROESSEL SETH ROFFMAN

ARTEMISIO ROMERO Y CARVER YVONNE SANDOVAL MICHAEL ANDRES SANTILLANES

SUSAN SCHUURMAN ANDREA SERRANO BIANCA SOPOCI-BELKNAP YANG TOLEDO

RALPH VIGIL MAYOR ALAN WEBBER

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS PEG HUNTER LYLA JUNE JOHNSTON

MARILYN MAXWELL DR VIRGINIA NECOCHEA VALERIE RANGEL SETH ROFFMAN

BIANCA SOPOCI-BELKNAP JAMEY STILLINGS RALPH VIGIL

ADVERTISING SALES ADVERTISEGREENFIRETIMESCOM

PRINTED LOCALLY WITH 100 SOY INK ON 100 RECYCLED CHLORINE-FREE PAPER

GREEN FIRE TIMES copy 2021 GREEN EARTH PUBLISHING LLC

CO SOUTHWEST LEARNING CENTERS INC

A NON-PROFIT EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATION (EST1972)

505-989-8898 PO BOX 8627 SANTA FE NM 87504-8627GREENFIRETIMESCOM

2 GREENFIRETIMESCOM JANUARYFEBRUARY 2021

with a

FIND YOUR FUTURE NORTHERN New Mexico College

APPLY TODAY 5057472111 nnmcedu SPRING CLASSES START JANUARY 19

Offering most affordable bachelorrsquos programs in New Mexico

Accredited Affordable and Fully Online for Spring 2021 n NEW Technical Trades Electrical amp Plumbing

n Arts Film amp Digital Media

n Biology Chemistry Environmental Science

Radiation Protection

n Management Accounting Project Management amp

Microsoft Office Suite

n Electromechanical amp Information Engineering

n Early Childhood amp Elementary Education

n Language amp Letters Social Sciences amp Humanities

n Mathematics amp Physics

n Associate Degree Nursing amp RN To BSN (Fully Online)

n Cosmetology Barbering

PLEASE SUPPORT GREEN FIRE TIMES Green Fire Times provides a platform for regional community-based voicesmdashuseful information for residents businesspeople students and visitorsmdashanyone interested in the history and spirit of New Mexico and the Southwest One of the unique aspects of GFT is that it offers multicultural perspectives and a link between the green movement and traditional cultures

Storytelling is at the heart of community health GFT shares stories of hope and is an archive for community action In each issue a small dedicated staff and a multitude of contributors offer articles documenting projects supporting sustainabilitymdashcommu-nity culture environment and regional economy

Green Fire Times is now operated by an LLC owned by a nonprofit educational organization (Est 1972 SWLEARNINGCENTERSORG) Obviously it is very challenging to continue to produce a free quality independent publication We are seeking financial support to help us institute a new business model and formalize a mentor-ship program for writers aspiring journalists and documentarians We also need funding to make our archive more accessible and to upgrade GFT online Please consider a tax-deductible donation Checks may be made out to Southwest Learning Centers Inc (with a notation lsquofor GFTrsquo) and sent to PO Box 8627 Santa Fe NM 87504-8627

Also please consider advertising The print editionmdashcurrently published every other month while our website is updated more frequentlymdashis widely distributed from Albuquerque to Taos and beyond

For a rate sheet visit GREENFIRETIMESCOM

News amp Views from the Sustainable SouthwestGREEN FIRE TIMES

CONTENTS

3GREENFIRETIMESCOM

RESILIENCE RESISTANCE amp RECOVERYVISIONS FOR TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE

Earth Care is honored to partner with Green Fire Times to bring you the 129th issue of this critical publication This is the fourth year we have co-curated the January issue to provide a platform for some of the amazing voices struggles and strategies of our regionrsquos social and environmental justice movements

2021 can be the beginning of a new era but only if we keep up the pressure and demand transformative change We are being called to reimagine and restructure the way we relate to our Earth Mother to one another our health and our economy We are being called to reckon honestly with our past and build a better future together We invited writers to share lessons in resilience resistance and visions for transformative recovery Enjoy

MIGUEL ANGEL ACOSTA MARY ANN MAESTAS BIANCA SOPOCI-BELKNAP

SANTA FE NEW MEXICO

VISIONS FOR TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE

THE COURAGE TO CHANGE ndash YUCCA (YOUTH UNITED FOR CLIMATE CRISIS ACTION) 4

THE NM ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTERrsquoS TOP-10 ISSUES TO WATCH IN 2021 ndash NMELC STAFF 7

OP-ED GLENN SCHIFFBAUER ndash 2021 RESOLUTIONS FOR NEW MEXICO TO REBUILD BETTER 12

OP-ED MICHAEL JENSEN ndash MOVING ENERGY TRANSITION FORWARD IN 2021 13

NEW YEAR NEW PRIORITIES ndash MAYOR ALAN WEBBER 16

CHASING THE ELUSIVE ndash EXPLORATIONS IN ACHIEVING SUSTAINABILITY LESSONS WE CAN LEARN FROM 2020 TO CREATE A BETTER 2021

ndash KATHERINE MORTIMER 17

GREEN RECOVERY

WATER TRANSFERS RELATED TO NEW MEXICOrsquoS FOOD SUPPLY ndash RALPH VIGIL 18

THE POWER OF PLACE ndash WARREN MONTOYA AND JACLYN ROESSEL 19

THE CALL TO REVITALIZE REGIONAL-SCALE INDIGENOUS LAND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ndash LYLA JUNE JOHNSTON 21

ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE ndash YVONNE SANDOVAL 22

NOEL iexclPRESENTE A TRIBUTE TO NOEL MARQUEZ 24

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE

BRIDGING NEW MEXICOrsquoS CULTURAL DIVIDE ndash ANDREW LOVATO 25

OP-ED ELENA ORTIZ ndash THE SOLUTIONS AND ANSWERS WE SEEK EXIST WITH WE THE PEOPLE 26

OP-ED SELINDA GUERRERO ndash ldquoNEVER BE AFRAID TO DO WHAT IS RIGHTrdquo 28

OP-ED MARY ANN MAESTAS ndash YOUTH AND COMMUNITY POWER 29

OP-ED MIGUEL ANGEL ACOSTA ndash SOLIDARITY NOT CHARITY 30

OP-ED ANDREA SERRANO ndash WE ORGANIZE LOCALLY TO RESIST NATIONALLY 32

OP-ED MICHAEL ANDRES SANTILLANES ndash SANTA FE DREAMERS PROJECT 34

OP-ED ADRIEN LAWYER ndash SAFETY AND ACCESS FOR TRANSGENDER PEOPLE 35

OP-ED DR VIRGINIA NECOCHEA ndash THE SANTOLINA SAGA CONTINUES 36

NEWSBITES 6 11 13 14 19 22 30 35 36 37

WHATrsquoS GOING ON 39

COVER LA TIERRA copy NOEL V MARQUEZ ARTESIA NM 1997 6rsquoX18rsquo ACRYLIC ON CANVAS ldquoA DICHOTOMY BETWEEN THE

SACRED AND THE DESECRATEDndashRESPECT OUR MOTHERrdquo PLEASE SEE A TRIBUTE TO NOEL MARQUEZ ON PAGE 24

El Rancho de las Golandrinas La Cienega NMcopy Seth Roffman

The Courage to Change BY YUCCA (YOUTH UNITED FOR CLIMATE CRISIS ACTION)

What if we told you You have nine years to live What would you do Would you march on with your daily routine With your same attitude toward life With your same priorities Or would you have the courage to be impacted by this prognosis and change the way you live In 2020 the worldrsquos leading scientists issued a warning in the United Nationsrsquo International Panel on Climate Changersquos Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) The researchers found that ldquohuman-causedrdquo carbon dioxide emissions need to be cut by nearly half of 2010 levels by 2030 to stave off the worst effects of climate change

ldquoWorst effects of climate changerdquo Itrsquos hard to imagine what those might be Worse than the species die-off we are already seeing (as many as 200 species of plants and animals with one million species threatened with extinction per day according to the comprehensive report on biodiversity)1 Worse than birds liter-ally falling from the sky Worse than the catastrophic wildfires that ravaged the West Coast this summermdashdisplacing thousands of people destroying ancient old-growth

forest ecosystems and decimating wildlife populations Worse than the devastating superstorms and floods that destroyed communities in the Southmdashcosting millions in damages

Scientists have given us a prognosis and a timeline ldquoRapid far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of societyrdquo are required to limit the pos-

sibility of irreversible environmental damage Global temperatures have already risen an average of 1 degree Celsius (about 18 degrees Fahrenheit) above levels before the Industrial Age If we continue along our current path in spite of the warnings the world is on track to warm by 15 degrees Celsius as early as 2030 An additional half-a-degree warmer might not seem significant But scientists warn that further warming will cause positive feedback loops that will lead to ecosystem collapsemdashacidification of the oceans die-off of forests melting of the Arctic and drought and desertifica-tion that will lead to massive food shortages

Rising temperatures and drought will lead to massive water shortages Already according to the Worldrsquos Resources Institute because of rising temperatures and prolonged drought New Mexico faces the same degree of water stress as the United Arab Emiratesmdashthe 10th most water-stressed country in the world2 And studies show that New Mexico is warming at faster rates than the global average tempera-ture rise3 Our rivers already run dry Our forests are already diseased and dying Our home is already threatened What will we do

Remember backmdashjust one year agomdashto January 2020 when COVID-19 seemed like a faraway threat in some far-away place The idea of having to wait in food lines curving around grocery store parking lots seemed an impossibility Think back to the normalcy we all experiencedmdashthe everyday hustle and bustle of modern day capitalism Even with all of its ethical contradictions things were moving along on a regularly charted path Now breathe in the sweeping changes the coronavirus has forced upon usmdash changes and losses we have had to accept in just over 10 months The loss of life Isolation and social distancing Changing our daily habits and rou-tines to prioritize health and safety in ways we never imagined All social gatherings

1 Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) - HTTPSWWWIPBESNETNEWSMEDIA-RELEASE-GLOBAL-ASSESSMENT

2 World Resources Institute 2019 - HTTPSWWWWRIORGPUBLICATIONAQUEDUCT-30

3 HTTPSWWWUCSUSAORGSITESDEFAULTFILESATTACH201604CLIMATE-CHANGE-NEW-MEXICO-FACT-SHEETPDF

Scientists have given us a prognosis and a timeline Our climate deadline is now just nine years

2021 is an opportunity for us to move forward with courage

VIS

ION

S F

OR

TR

AN

SFO

RM

AT

IVE

CH

AN

GE

4 GREENFIRETIMESCOM JANUARYFEBRUARY 2021

and interactions now virtual The outdoors as a place of refuge Mas-sive deployments of resources new protocols and huge demands placed on our healthcare system grassroots networks of mutual aid and massive government spending packages

We are capable of change We are capable of courage Our hearts may often feel like they are going

to explode but together we are capable of facing loss of moving through grief of resilience and of healing 2021 is an opportunity for us to move forward with courage

Our climate deadline is now just nine years But change is in motion The political landscape is shifting Thanks to the hard work of organizers and voters through-out the country we have a new administration that we must push to create trans-formative policies The cultural landscape is shifting too thanks to the tireless struggle of intersectional social movements for racial- economic- environmental- gender- and immigration justice and decolonization We have the opportunity to reckon honestly with our countryrsquos continuing history of colonization and sys-temic oppression and to face the reality that we need a radical re-creation of our societyrsquos economic social and political systems

So as we work to address the climate emergency we need to not only restructure our energy systems but our entire society We have the courage to do so We be-lieve you do too cent

YUCCA is a youth organization of Earth Care (WWWEARTHCARENMORG) led by steering committee members Artemisio Romero y Carver Seneca Johnson Yang Toledo Castille Aguilar Miya Chaacutevez Emma Lawrence Aviva Nathan and Anjamora Mato

New Mexico faces the same degree of water stress as the United Arab Emirates

5GREENFIRETIMESCOM

Images pg 4Top Coldsnap 2020 We grieve their loss copyBianca Sopoci-BelknapCenter Miya Chaacutevez and Artemisio Romero y Carver with ldquoproduced waterrdquo at the state capitol copy Seth RoffmanBottom Youth deliver demands to the governor YUCCA 2020 Images pg 5Climate Emergency guillotine action at the Roundhouse 2020Ruby Loacutepez and Artemisio Romero y Carver at Albuquerque Climate StrikePainting by Yang Toledo (YUCCA)

CLIMATE STORIES FROM NEW MEXICO2019 and 2020 have been among the warmest years on record Manmade greenhouse gases may have already warmed the planet by 18 percent more than predicted Swedish climate ac-tivist Greta Thunberg has said ldquoYou canrsquot have climate justice without social justice The climate crisis is just one symptom of a much larger crisis including the loss of biodiversity the loss of fertile soil but also including inequality and threats to democracy These are symptoms that we are not living sustain-ablymdashthat we have reached the end of the roadrdquo

The Land Witness Project seeks to show what is at stake for New Mexicorsquos lands people and communities as the climate chang-es Stories recorded by farmers ranchers conservationists sci-entists outdoor-recreation professionals business owners and land managersmdashfrom Mesilla Park to Espantildeola Jeacutemez Springs to Hatch Albuquerquersquos South Valley to Mosqueromdashare about families and traditions doubt and worry land and water and love and commitment Everyone has special ties to their par-ticular region Their stories underscore impacts on agriculture and local food systems individual community and ecosystem health economic well-being and environmental racism experi-enced by low-income and Indigenous communitiesThe series is being created by 350 New Mexico with support from groups working to build climate resilience HTTPSWWWLANDWITNESSPROJECTCOM

GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORY INFORMS ALBUQUERQUE CLIMATE EFFORTSAs Albuquerque looks to the next several years of an effort to take quick action to lessen the cityrsquos contribution to climate change and prepare for future impacts greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data will be key to setting priorities and tracking progress Last month the city released a GHG inventory to set a baseline understanding of where the emissions come from and the amount produced The report provides a snapshot of trends between 2008 and 2017 Data was prepared following the Global Protocol for Community Scale Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories using the City Inventory Reporting and Information System tool

In 2017 the city produced 5809351 metric tons of CO2 equivalent which resulted in an average of 1037 metric tons of CO2 produced by each resident for that year Major contributors include on-road transportation (33) commer-cial and institutional buildings (26) and residential buildings (25) Action by many stakeholders at all levels of impact will be necessary to create a downward trajectory in the cityrsquos total emissions

ldquoFrom food insecurity to clean water breathing-related aller-gies and energy crises climate change will bring major disrup-tions to Albuquerquersquos quality of liferdquo said Mayor Tim Keller With even the modest increase of one degree Celsius over 2019 there has been a large increase in wildfires leading to respiratory health effects Experts are concerned that contin-ued temperature increases will result in reduced snowpackmdashcreating strains on surface water availability as well as a rise in summer temperatures and haze from ground-level ozone Albuquerque had a couple of ozone alerts last summer

YUCCA CALLS ON OUR LEADERSFOR COURAGEOUS ACTION IN THE 2021 NM LEGISLATIVE SESSION

1 Policies that end dependence on fossil fuel extraction and create actionable

plans to transition our economy

bull We need an economic transition plan New Mexico produces more than twice the national average of greenhouse gas emissions per capita This is largely the result of our greenhouse gas-intensive oil and gas industry Given that oil and gas revenues comprise more than a third of the statersquos budget we need a divestment and diversification plan

bull ldquoJust transitionrdquo policies must have real science-based timelines and accountability measures to make sure our government is responding to the crisis not industryrsquos demands and being equitable and inclusive of communities most directly im-pactedmdashfrontline Indigenous and people of color communities youth displaced workers etc

bull Wersquove been working with national partners on an Energy Justice Scorecard that sets evaluative criteria for policy initiatives to assess if they are truly equitable and justicemdashboth in terms of the process and the policy itself We will assess the bills just proposed this session with that yardstick We will support efforts that create opportunities for economic development and community wealth creationmdashthings like legalizing cannabis a public bank etc

2 Policies that keep fossil fuels in the ground

bull We support a fracking moratorium but wersquore not expecting that to move this year Still we will be reminding lawmakers that thatrsquos the kind of bold action they need to be working toward

bull In the meantime we are looking at policies that will slow production and most importantly will end the subsidization of the fossil-fuel industry at the publicrsquos expense Things like the extremely low bonding rate in New Mexico which places almost 100 percent of the burden of cleanup on New Mexicans and allows the cost of oil production to be artificially low (We really appreciate the State Land Officersquos recent move to stop allowing fresh water from state lands to be used by the oil and gas industry)

bull Produced Water Act AmendmentsmdashAny use of produced water on roads farmlands or any location outsideof the oil field should be strictly prohibited Spills and leaks should be illegal The costs of toxic radio active waste should have to be internalized by the industry Radioactive waste should be considered toxic waste with the same protections against contamination

bull The Green Amendment will also help our communities hold polluters account-able even when our state fails to

3 Policies that promote renewable energy

bull Community solar to increase solar access equity and generate local economic development

bull Local Choice Energy to end the monopoly utility structure and allow communi-ties to own control and benefit from renewable energy development

4 Policies that expand democracy and justice

bull 16Vote initiative to enable our peers to vote on the issues that impact our lives Especially with climate change we are going to be inheriting the consequences of all of the decisions made right now We need to be at the table

bull We are adding our support to a number of efforts led by our social justice part-nersmdashlike addressing excessive force and qualified immunity the Health Security Act a living wage paid sick leave reproductive justice etc

Gov Michelle Lujan Grisham was recently quoted as saying ldquoWe are dead-set against allow-ing climate change to bring about the next public health crisisrdquo We plan to hold her and the 2021 New Mexico Legislature to that promise To join our climate emergency campaign visit WWWYUCCANMORG

6 GREENFIRETIMESCOM JANUARYFEBRUARY 2021

THE NEW MEXICO ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTERrsquoS TOP-10 ISSUES TO WATCH IN 2021BY NMELC STAFF

For the last three years this annual article has focused on the gutting of environmental safe-guards by the Trump administration This year we focus on the glimmers of hope on the national and state level for protecting our environment especially frontline communities whose health is impacted by continued contamination of air water and land We must continue to demand that regulating agencies hold industry and polluters accountable to clean up contaminated lands and water and strive to prevent pollution in the first place Here are what we consider to be some of the most important environmental issues for 2021

1 We Must Center the Voices of Frontline CommunitiesNow more than ever the US must face its history of being found-ed upon the genocide colonization and continued oppression of Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities We must acknowledge the lasting and disproportionate impacts of un-fettered capitalism and white supremacy on the health culture and lands of communities of color It is vital that we center the voices of those who are on the frontlines of environmental injustice That means centering the voices of low-income and BIPOC commu-nities whose literal bodies have borne the brunt of environmental racism We must strive to align ourselves with the Jemez Principles of Democratic Organizing and to center the voices and experiences of our clients whose neighborhoods are most impacted by pollut-ing industry

2 We Must Name Environmental Racism We must acknowledge that the environmental movement in the United States has been plagued by a lack of diversity and a lack of

equity The entire environmental movement needs to analyze how it upholds structures that perpetuate environmental racism It is long overdue for environmental justice principles to transform the environmental movement where people matter and the places where people live and work matter as much as endangered species national forests and parks As civil rights leader Benjamin Chaves said environmental racism is the ldquodeliberate targeting of com-munities of color for toxic waste facilities the official sanctioning

of the life-threatening presence of poisons and pollutants in our com-munities and the history of excluding people of color from leadership of the ecology movementsrdquo We must name environmental racism when we see it We must also recognize that tribal nations are sovereign nations and work to hold our state and federal governments accountable to recognize the requirement of govern-ment-to-government collaboration and the necessity of free prior and informed consent of tribal nations before taking any action that impacts tribal land or resources

3 Our Work Is Not Done Now that Biden Is InWe know that the incoming admin-istration has pledged to roll back the egregious deregulations rammed through by the Trump administra-tion But we also recognize that envi-

7GREENFIRETIMESCOM

L-R NMELC staff attorney Eric Jantz MASE coordinator Susan Gordon Terracita Keyanna US Sen Ben Ray Lujan Peterson Bell Edith Hood

Landfill at Sunland Park a community 96 percent HispanicLatinxmdasha prime example of intentional siting of toxic waste and polluting industry in low-income communities

ronmental justice issues persist across administrations at every level of government Regardless of the administration in power and of political party we must work to hold elected officials and decision-makers accountable to environmental protections and especially to frontline communities most impacted by environmental racism

4 Lasting Impacts from Nuclear Colonialism and Uranium MiningNuclear Colonialism a phrase coined by Winona LaDuke and Ward Churchill de-scribes the ldquosystemic dispossession of indigenous lands the exploitation of cultural resources and a history of subjugation and oppression of indigenous people by a government to further nuclear production of energy and proliferation of weaponsrdquo

New Mexicorsquos lands and waters especially on the Navajo Nation the Tularosa Basin downwind from the Trini-ty Test site and Pueblo lands surrounding Los Alamos Nation-al Laboratory (LANL) and in the ldquoGrants Min-ing Districtrdquo have been severely contaminated by the nuclear industry Many uranium min-ing companies walked away from previous mining sites when the price of uranium dropped leav-ing a multi-bil-lion-dollar environmental cleanup problem

for state federal and tribal governments to address Long-term exposure to and high concentrations of uranium can cause severe and deadly health impacts including kidney failure The state needs to create long-term and emergen-cy plans to address nuclear waste disposal venting storage and transport of radioactive materials throughout New Mexico NMELC is working closely with clients in the prevention of further groundwater contamination from mining and forcing the clean-up of existing uranium mines leach beds tailings piles and mill sites 5 Protecting Our Right to Breathe Clean Air Air quality has been severely impacted in New Mexico by oil drilling and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for natural gas especially in the southeastern part of the state (above the Permian Basin) and in the Four Corners region where methane leaks and flaring have reached such huge proportions that the methane cloud above the region can be seen from space Low-income commu-nities of color are repeatedly left unprotected by environmental agencies which should be ensuring their well-being rather than harming families living along the fence lines of polluting industries like asphalt hot- mix batch plants Health impacts include asthma especially in children and cancer High volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter concentrations also affect quality of life and property values The siting and permitting of facilities that contam-inate air quality primarily in communities of color is environmental racism Among other litigation and policy efforts we are promoting tougher methane rules which would drastically reduce methane emissions in New Mexico and working alongside clients in fighting local permitting decisions that allow the continued targeting of low-income communities of color as sites for polluting industries

8 GREENFIRETIMESCOM JANUARYFEBRUARY 2021

While we are hopeful that the incoming administration will help protect rather than harm the environment we will con-tinue to push elected officials to hold industry accountable and change systems that perpetuate injustice

The nuclear industry has created extensive uranium contamination on Indigenous lands leading to the systematic dispossession and continuing oppression of Indigenous people by a government furthering production of nuclear weapons and energy Photo copy Marilyn Maxwell

NMELC is working with clients to fight the permitting of asphalt plants like this one in Santa Fe which will reduce air quality in surrounding low-income neighborhoods communi-ties of color that are living in an already overburdened airshed Photo copy Valerie Rangel

6 Protecting Our Right to Clean Fresh Water The Trump administration drastically reduced protections under the Clean Water Act for most of New Mexicorsquos waters 87 percent of which are ephemeral and only flow after rainfall or snow-meltmdashincluding the Riacuteo Grande The Biden administration must restore these protections to fed-erally designated Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has contaminated ground and surface water for decades ever since the Manhattan Project includ-ing water that is used for ceremonial purposes by the Tewa people and drinking water used by San-ta Fe residents LANL must stop the continued harm and then pivot toward cleaning up decades of ongoing contamination instead of creating more waste by further developing nuclear weaponry Access to ample supplies of clean fresh drinking water and water for agriculture and traditional acequia communities is a human right and an environmental justice issue We stand up for and with frontline communities including indigenous communities acequia users and low-income neighbor-hoods that industrymdashenabled by government regulatorsmdashhas treated as sacrifice zones

7 Reducing Impacts from the Oil amp Gas Industry The practice of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is environ-mentally costly requires massive amounts of water and produces a huge amount of contaminated waste In September 2020 the State of New Mexico finalized changes to its produced water regulations on the oil and gas industry and is now considering ways to treat produced water that would be used for agricul-tural use ldquoProduced waterrdquo is an oil and gas production liquid waste product that contains flowback from drilling fluid that is brought to the surface with crude oil and natural gas extraction Far from being ldquowaterrdquo this liquid oil and gas waste is a toxic brew of known hazardous chemicals and carcinogens For every barrel of oilmdashabout 42 gallonsmdashabout four-to-10 barrels of produced water is generated Produced water should be treated as the toxic waste that it is and never considered safe for reuse We are supporting a bill in the upcoming legislative session that would not allow produced water to be used outside of oil and gas production and would protect our freshwater resources from being used unnecessarily in oil and gas production

8 Holding the US Military Accountable as the Worldrsquos Biggest Polluter New Mexico like most other states has been heavily impacted by the US military We are home to three military bases plus White Sands Missile Range Fort Wingate Army Depot Activity Area and two National Labs Isleta Pueb-lo is located directly south of Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB)

From 1956 to 1961 7000 acres of land was leased for use as a target bomb-ing range for aircraft from the base Munitions explosives and debris from the bombing contaminated Isletarsquos ancestral lands The Pueblo of Isleta solicited proposals for surface clearance of munitions in September 2020 Additionally downstreamdownwind communities from Los Alamos Na-tional Laboratory are concerned about contaminated runoff as more waste is generated from further development of nuclear weapons surface water contamination from unregulated dumping and carcinogenic air resulting from radioactive tritium venting scheduled for spring 2021

Other examples include the plume of jet fuel that leaked from KAFB into Albuquerquersquos aquifer that is slowly creeping towards the cityrsquos most important drinking water well and also the PFAS toxic chemicals that pose significant risk

9GREENFIRETIMESCOM

to human and environmental health that were recently found in groundwater surface water and soil at both Cannon and Holloman Air Force bases Clean-up of contamina-tion from the US military has been slow and incremental NMELC continues to work

The Pecos River Regulations of water quality were gutted under the Trump administration and must be reinstated and strengthened to protect one of New Mexicorsquos most important water resources

The oil and gas industry is trying to persuade the public that so-called ldquoproduced waterrdquo is treatable and safe to use on agricultural fields Produced water is a toxic brew of chemicals and carcinogens

Map shows extent of the multi-million-gallon jet fuel spill plume that sits in Albuquerquersquos aquifer Kirtland Air Force Base discovered the leak in 1999 decades after the leak started and has yet to clean it up Map credit HTTPSEJATLASORGCONFLICTKIRTLAND-AIR-FORCE-BASE-JET-FUEL-

NMELCrsquoS 2020 AWARDSKarl Souder a hydrologist spent his career working to protect New Mexicorsquos water particularly its groundwater Last month the New Mex-ico Environmental Law Center held its annual awards event online due to the pandemic NMELC presented its Karl Souder Water Protection Awardmdashwhich honors an outstanding individual or organization that has made significant contributions to the protection of New Mexicorsquos watermdashto Betty Gonzaacutelez and Mariacutea Elena Bejarano of Riacuteo Valle Con-cerned Citizens a cooperative based in Dontildea Ana County that fought for and won stronger monitoring and remediation provisions that im-pact more than a dozen mega-dairies

Mariacutea Elena Bejarano said ldquoThese dairies have been and are polluting our groundwater with nitrates and the plume keeps on spreadingrdquo Betty Gonzaacutelez said ldquoWe appreciate the assistance the law center has given us for 10 years in addressing numerous concerns we have had with dairy row in southern New Mexico CAFOs [Concentrated Animal Feed Operations] in the poorest areas of our state have little regard for the communities in which they are located Citizens in small rural work-

10 GREENFIRETIMESCOM JANUARYFEBRUARY 2021

with clients to demand the Air Force cleans up its contamination of Albuquerquersquos precious aquifer

9 Climate Justice and a Just TransitionGlobal warming is a climate justice issue In order to mitigate the impacts of climate change we must move from the burning of fossil fuels and carbon emissions to renewable sources of low-carbon or no-carbon energy such as wind and solar Clean energy does not include nuclear energy due to all the harmful impacts from the entire nuclear chain including uranium mining and milling and radioactive waste which remains harmful for millions of years and generations to come We recog-nize that thousands of New Mexican workers currently depend on the oil and gas industry for jobs and the state depends on tax revenue from the fossil fuel industry especially to fund education A just transition would provide paid training to laid-off workers to learn new skills in the green economy building solar and wind energy and cleaning up environmental contamination A just transition is not just about learning solar and wind technology (renewable energy) it is about understanding the skillset of the workforce and figuring out how best to use that locally and sustain-ably A just transition will also require changing New Mexicorsquos tax code to make us less reliant on oil and gas for our state budget NMELC is supporting legislative pro-posals for a more progressive tax structure that makes us less reliant on oil and gas

10 Holding Industry Accountable Through Strong Federal and State GovernanceWe cannot expect industry to police itself We must have strong federal state and local governance to hold polluters accountable and to prevent pollution in the first place while understanding that the current system perpetuates broader systemic inequities that must be restructured We support increasing penalties for viola-tions and are promoting a bill in the upcoming legislative session that would adjust current penalty amounts to account for inflation that has occurred since the early 1990s effectively doubling the fines to polluters when they violate the law rules or permit conditions We want the Biden administration to immediately protect the Greater Chaco Canyon area from extractive industry We want New Mexicorsquos 16 Superfund sites made a priority for actual clean-up We support the restoration and strengthening of the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) and the im-plementation of President Clintonrsquos Executive Order 12898 Federal Action to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations We understand the current New Mexico Environment Department is often hamstrung by insuffi-cient budgets to adequately regulate polluters We urge the Legislature to provide the financial resources to NMED so that they can better fulfill their mission to protect the environment

The goal for 2021 should not be a rush to return to the status quo after the pan-demic but to be proactive in restructuring our society to be more equitable and just This requires systemic change and a dismantling of racist structures This is a moment in history that offers an opportunity for transformation that reflects societal values our connection to the environment to one another and to future generations

The New Mexico Environmental Law Center

The NMELC has been defending environmental justice since 1987 Its mission is to work with New Mexicorsquos communities to protect their air land and water in the fight for environmental justice The NMELC is committed to dismantling racist structures that are at the heart of environmental injustice and all disparate treatment of communities of color ldquoIf we do not respect the water we drink the air we breathe the land we sow and the community in which we live we cannot realize the fundamental human rights to which we are all entitledrdquo said Ex-ecutive Director Dr Virginia Necochea ldquoWe stand with those seeking justice and will continue to utilize our platform to support our state and its peoplerdquo

505-989-9022 NMELCNMELCORG HTTPSNMELCORG

Climate Justice calls for a just transition which includes understanding impacts on jobs and commu-nity when moving from fossil fuel energy to renewables Photo copy Peg Hunter Source HTTPSMEDIUMCOMJUST-TRANSITIONSSTEVIS-E147A9EC189A

Chino Mine a copper mine near Silver City is exempt from NM Water Quality standards under the Copper Rule The rule was written by a committee stacked with industry representa-tives and is an example of inadequate governance

N M ST O PS S E L L I N G F R ES H WAT E R F O R O I L amp GAS D R I L L I N GStudies have shown that regional aquifer levels in southeastern New Mexico are rapidly declining because of years of extensive groundwater pumping Oil production in the Permian Basin is at an all-time high Officials worry that if aquifers are no longer via-ble under state trust land the land will lose its value Communities close to the basin are now having to fight the industry for access to fresh water

Millions of gallons of water are needed for the oil and gas indus-tryrsquos hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations In December the New Mexico State Land Office announced that the state will stop renewing and issuing easements for commercial sales of fresh wa-ter on state trust land The change will not affect sales for agricul-tural or municipal uses Most of the easements have been in Lea and Eddy counties Prior administrations have had some grantees pay $1000 annually for wells or charged for each barrel of water Some grantees have allegedly been selling the water

State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garciacutea Richard has said that the easements are no longer ecologically or economically viable and that itrsquos difficult to verify how much operators use As part of New Mexicorsquos Produced Water Act the Land Office recently began requiring operators to report how much water they use to frack a well FracFocus a national registry indicated that nearly 145 billion gallons were used for production in 2019 Recycled or ldquoproducedrdquo water (the salty chemical mixture that surfaces along with petroleum) made up only a fraction of that The Act encour-ages the use of recycled or brackish water

E N V I RO N M E N TA L J U ST I C E A DV I S O RY C O U N C I L L AU N C H E DIn September New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas launched an initiative to address the impacts of environmental and natural resource policies on minority communities Balderas said that the effort is intended to give a greater voice to communities that have been harmed by state and federal decisions

As an example Baldeeras said that Hispanic communities have been prevented from playing a larger role in establishing for-est-thinning regulations that impact forests their families have cared for and relied on for generations He also cited hunting and fishing rules that donrsquot take into consideration some communitiesrsquo traditional ties to the land and the challenges of balancing oil and gas development with cultural and environmental preservation Other examples of environmental justice issues in New Mexico are zoning policies in Albuquerque that have led to industrial pollution in minority neighborhoods and contamination of Native American lands from uranium mining

A new nine-member Equity Advisory Council will make recom-mendations to the AGrsquos office on federal and state land manage-ment and resource policies The council includes three lawmakers mdashDemocratic Reps Javier Martiacutenez of Albuquerque Derrick Lente of Sandia Pueblo and Angela Rubio of Las Crucesmdashalong with representatives from tribal groups the state Livestock Board the New Mexico Acequia Association and other organizations

ing-class communities do not have the legal financial or political means to stand up to the American Dairy Associationrsquos clients like the Del Oro Dairy But with the law center and other state and national organizations like the Sierra Club Amigos Bravos and Food amp Water Watch we continue to notify the New Mexico Environ-mental Department of infractionsrdquo

Jeanne Gauna was a fierce environmental justice warrior and former director of the SouthWest Organizing Project (SWOP) NMELCrsquos Jeanne Gauna Community Environmental Advocacy Award was given to the Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment (MASE) a group with five core members Bluewater Valley Down-stream Alliance Eastern Navajo Dineacute Against Uranium Mining (ENDAUM) Laguna-Acoma Coalition for a Safe Environment Post-71 Uranium Workers Committee and Red Water Pond Road Community Association MASE was creat-ed as a response to pollution and public health impacts from uranium mining and milling The award is given to New Mexicans who have given significant time and effort toward grassroots advocacy especially through the linkage of environmental health and community well-being MASE coordinator Susan Gordon accepted the award on behalf of the group

NMELC also honored Alice Sealey with the ldquoVolunteer of the Yearrdquo award for her dedication and service to the law center

Each year the NMELC also bestows its ldquoToxic Polluter of the Yearrdquo award to a person or group that has shown ldquoextraordinary disregard for New Mexicorsquos environment and the communities that live in itrdquo This year that award went to Homestake Barrick Gold Mining Company The Homestake Mill site is owned by Barrick Gold an international mining company that processed uranium for decades In 1983 it was designated a Superfund site considered one of the most contaminated places in the country A cleanup was required by federal law Yet 40 years later the law center says that more groundwater aquifers near the site are

contaminated with uranium and selenium than when the supposed cleanup began NMELC is working with the MASE coalition to push the EPA and the NRC to ensure that surrounding communities can safely use their well water

Top 2017 commemoration of the 1979 Churchrock uranium tailings spill organized by Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment (MASE) Bottom NMELC volunteer Alice Sealey Maria Elena Bejarano and Betty Gonzalez of Riacuteo Valle Concerned Citizens

11GREENFIRETIMESCOM

Few of us will miss 2020 and as we move to repair our COVID-battered economy 2021 can be the year we rebuild better in New Mexico We have a chance to make our communities safer and healthier with an economy where all New Mexicans prosper

COVID-19 exposed the fragility of New Mexicorsquos economy and its over-reliance on a single sectormdashoil and gas COVID also shined a light on connections that have previously been under-appreciated like the link between public health and economic health Post-pandemic New Mexico must incorporate these lessons into economic planning and policy that better position our communities to thrive in coming decades

We need to rebuild better by tackling pollution and climate change and the real threat they pose to our health our air land water and our economy New Mexico has an opportunity to be a leader in innovations that will create jobs take advan-tage of the statersquos abundant renewable energy and protect our precious limited water resources

The ProblemNew Mexicans are already experiencing severe impacts of climate change and 99 percent of scientists as well as NASA and the Department of Defense agree that climate change is a threat to our kidsrsquo future and we can no longer ignore the increasingly strange and severe weather Temperatures of the last decade were the warmest of the century and as mountain snowpack declines there is less water for cities and agriculture In southeastern New Mexico farmers saw temperatures that averaged seven degrees above normal in July In Santa Fe a wildfire charred five square miles on the outskirts of town and darkened skies for weeks Currently nearly three-fourths of the state is experiencing severe drought as state officials grapple with plans to ensure critical water supplies

New Mexico is also home to some of the worst methane pollution in the nation and the oil and gas industry is one of the largest sources Methane is more than 80 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide over 20 years

and it is estimated to be contributing 25 percent of the warming seen today Meth-ane-related volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions have significant impacts on public health contributing to ground-level ozone or smog worsening respira-tory disease and increasing the risk of heart disease and heart attacks In counties with active oil and gas operations New Mexicorsquos air quality is deteriorating with rising levels of ozone pollution Eddy Lea San Juan Riacuteo Arriba and Chavez coun-tiesndashthe counties home to 97 percent of the statersquos oil and gas wellsndashare all violat-ing or at risk of violating federal ozone standards of 70 parts per million

The OpportunityNew Mexico has more wind and solar energy potential than almost any other state and it is home to companies leading in innovation and technology to clean up oil and gas pollution We have already benefited from over $3 billion in capital invest-ment in wind projects and thousands of jobs in rural communities that need them Stanford University researchers say that moving to renewable energy will save the average family over $1000 a year in health costs and energy savings Diversifying New Mexicorsquos economy with clean energy and new industries will help the state move away from its reliance on oil and gas Plummeting oil and gas prices have left the statersquos government facing a massive budget shortfall

Gov Michelle Lujan Grishamrsquos bold commitment to cut carbon pollution by set-ting science-based greenhouse gas reduction goals and her pursuit of nation-lead-ing air pollution and methane rules for the oil and gas industry are key steps to helping New Mexico accelerate the transition to a cleaner more diversified and sustainable economy

But it is only a start New Mexicorsquos draft air-pollution and methane rules are inad-equate and must be strengthened to protect public health and to send a signal to investors that the state is serious about committing to reducing oil and gas waste and pollution

One example of the potential for New Mexico is the methane mitigation in-dustrymdasha robust and growing industry that is already on the ground across the country designing manufacturing and deploying the devices and services that make operation of the oil and gas industry safer and cleaner In New Mexico the methane mitigation industry already boasts upward of 18 locations including leak-detection and repair services equipment maintenance facilities sales centers and company headquarters a sector that is set for growth with the right policy drivers in place

The science on climate change is clear Itrsquos time for action To ensure goals are met and New Mexico communities are protected the state Legislature should prioritize action on a comprehensive climate policy package with two key compo-nents

1 Codify climate targets In January 2019 Gov Lujan Grisham issued an Executive Order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 45 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 The Legislature must affirm the importance of tackling climate change by codifying the greenhouse gas emissions target in the executive order into law and directing the New Mexico En-vironment Department (NMED) to implement rules by a date certain to ensure the pollution reduction goals are met

2 Eliminate the harmful ldquono more stringent thanrdquo law For far too long New Mexicorsquos environmental agency has been handcuffed by an antiquated law that constrains it from creating air pollution requirements more protective than federal regulations The law has enormous conse-quences statewidemdashand particularly for environmental justice commu-nities which are most likely to be impacted by hot spots of air pollu-tion including methane volatile organic compounds and hazardous air pollution from oil and gas operations Therefore NM legislators should eliminate this damaging law and make sure that vulnerable communities are protectedmdashnot left behindmdashin a comprehensive climate and clean air package

Policymakers should be emboldened given there is broad agreement for New Mexico to act on climate change An August 2019 poll found that two-thirds of

There is broad agreement for New Mexico to act on climate change

OP-ED Glenn Schiffbauer

2021 NEW YEARrsquoS RESOLUTIONS FOR NEW MEXICO TO REBUILD BETTER

12 GREENFIRETIMESCOM JANUARYFEBRUARY 2021