Democracy for New Mexico

Fighting Global Warming: Three ABQ City Councilors Propose Green Building Measures

As reported in this Albuquerque Journal article and a city press releasepress release, three Albuquerque city councilors are proposing a bill to encourage the use of green building practices in the city. The legislation (O-07-73), called the Albuquerque High Performance Buildings Ordinance, will be introduced at the next City Council meeting on Wednesday, February 21, 2007.

Martin Heinrich, Issac Benton and Michael Cadigan held a news conference recently to explain the plan, which has these three components designed to help move Albuquerque into the forefront of communities trying to deal with global warming:

• Part I of the legislation adopts the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code standards. By adopting the 2006 standards, Albuquerque would be surpassing what is required by the State (which still uses the 2003 code) and holding ourselves to a higher standard of energy conservation.

• Part II creates the “Albuquerque High Performance Buildings Ordinance,” which applies to all new construction and significant alternations of existing buildings.

  • Under this section of the ordinance, projects that are LEED certified will receive Priority Plan Check Processing at the City. This will help encourage and expedite the construction of energy-efficient buildings.

  • Requirements include: higher standard of efficiency for air conditioning and heating systems, building insulation, roof insulation, and hot water heaters; testing for building leakage; Energy Star appliances and low-e windows.

• Part III tackles an air-quality issue by amending the Woodburning Ordinance to include five additional materials – garbage, paints, paint solvents, treated wood, and waste petroleum products – that are prohibited from being burned.

Quotes:

According to Councilor Isaac Benton, a green architect with 30 years of professional experience, “The requirements set forth in this ordinance take care of what I would call the ‘low-hanging fruit’ of efficiency standards that any architect and builder can achieve at relatively low cost. Though the changes being proposed are actually quite simple to make, the impact on our environment will be significant.”

"My sense is that it will not be controversial, except for the lowest end of builders and contractors," he said. On the City Council, "I would be surprised if we have significant opposition. To me, it's mom and apple pie," Benton said.

“We have been working for a number of months to draft legislation that will serve as a national model for addressing the global problem of climate change,” explained Councilor Martin Heinrich. “This ordinance will move Albuquerque into the forefront of green building in the United States and help us get a handle on Albuquerque’s greenhouse gas emissions by mandating higher standards of energy efficiency for all residential and commercial buildings in the city.”

Councilor Michael Cadigan said it will help the city be "a serious player" in dealing with global warming. In addition, he said, "we think this will save money for consumers and businesses in the long term through lower energy bills and an overall reduction in demand for energy, increase demand for energy-saving products and reduce air pollution."

The councilors also said they'll be looking for more ways to tamp down Albuquerque's contributions to global warming, including in the area of transportation.

Click here to read the ordinance and track its progress. All citizens are invited to attend the City Council Meeting at 5:00 PM on February 21, 2007 when the ordinance is scheduled to be discussed. City Council meetings are held at the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Government Center, One Civic Plaza NW. Call 768-3100 for more information on the Council.

To contact your councilor about this legislation, .

Sunday: ABQ Town Hall Meeting on Global Warming (Live and Radio)

From Environment New Mexico:
We're hosting an event this Sunday in Albuquerque where you can learn more about global warming, as well as have an opportunity to ask questions of our expert panel.

WHAT: Community town hall meeting on global warming
WHEN: Sunday, February 18 from 2:00 to 3:30 PM
WHERE: Immanuel Presbyterian Church (Silver and Carlisle)

Expert panelists include former NM Secretary of the Environment and Transportation Judy Espinosa, UNM climatologist David Gutzler, green building architect Howard Kaplan and alternative energy activist Ben Luce. The community town hall meeting will also be broadcast live on KUNM (89.9 FM). The moderator will be KNME "The Line" host Gene Grant. Our journalist panel includes Alibi Managing Editor Christy Chisholm, Albuquerque Journal Science Reporter John Fleck, and KUNM's News Director Steve Shadley. To RSVP, just click here .

Also on February 18 and starting at Noon, Immanuel Presbyterian Church will screen Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth."

ACTION ALERT: Dem Rep. Gutierrez Votes to Revive Stalled Dirty Coal Bill

From Conservation Voters New Mexico:
Representative Joni Marie Gutierrez, D-Mesilla, voted Friday morning to revive a $85 million taxpayer subsidy for a massive pulverized coal plant, reversing her vote from a few weeks ago. 

“Representative Gutierrez’s motion today single-handedly resuscitated a stalled subsidy for dirty coal,” stated Sandy Buffett, Executive Director of Conservation Voters New Mexico. “The State of New Mexico should not be subsidizing an out-of-state corporation to build a dirty coal plant using old, polluting technology. If taxpayer money is going to be used for energy projects, we should be investing in the best available clean and renewable energy technologies.”

On January 29th, 2007, Rep. Gutierrez voted with the majority to “table” HB 178, the Navajo Nation Electric Facility Tax Credit, a bill sponsored by Representative Thomas Taylor, R- Farmington. The vote to table essentially stopped the bill from moving on the House side of the Legislature. Gutierrez made a motion Friday to bring the bill off the table to be heard next Monday, February 19th. The House Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved the motion 7-6, with five Republicans voting with Gutierrez on her motion [emphasis added].

House Bill 178 / Senate Bill 431 would provide an $85 million taxpayer subsidy to Sithe Global LLC for the construction of a conventional, pulverized coal plant called “Desert Rock” on the Navajo Nation. The plant, if built, would emit 10 million tons annually of greenhouse gas emissions and would contribute hundreds of pounds of mercury annually to a region already considered a mercury hotspot. 

“Sadly, it seems that Representative Gutierrez may have mistakenly concluded that her constituents in her district would not be concerned with this issue,” said Buffett. “But I believe that all New Mexicans want economic development that will create clean, high-wage jobs while protecting our air, land, water and precious taxpayer resources.”

In 2006, Conservation Voters New Mexico Annual Legislative Scorecard revealed Representative Gutierrez’ 100% perfect conservation voting record for the previous two sessions. “It pains me to know that Representative Gutierrez’ conservation score took a big hit today, but then again, so did New Mexico’s environment,” stated Buffett.

Conservation Voters New Mexico (CVNM), the political voice of New Mexico’s conservation community, is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501c4 organization. CVNM’s mission is to make sensible conservation policies a top priority for elected officials, political candidates, and voters across the state.  For more information or to view the 2006 Scorecard, please visit www.CVNM.org.

Some basic facts about Desert Rock:

• Total carbon dioxide emissions in the state will increase 16%, with 10 million tons emitted annually from this plant;
• The greenhouse gas emissions from this plant will cancel out the Governor’s numerical targets for curbing global warming;
• On February 5, 2007, hundreds of citizens of New Mexico, including over 50 Navajo activists and elders, gathered at the New Mexico State Legislature to protest the proposed Desert Rock power plant;
• Sithe has not publicly announced any “Power Purchase Agreements” to be in place. PPAs are typically secured prior to seeking financing for a major power plant.
• Sithe seeks to build the plant to export electricity to Nevada and Arizona. However, the plant would not meet California’s new clean energy import standard, precluding the plant from being able to sell to the largest power market in the west.

Sandy Buffett, Executive Director
Conservation Voters NM (CVNM)
320 Aztec St Ste B, Santa Fe, NM  87501
505.992.8683 (tel); 505.270.5743 (cell)
505.986.0339 (fax); sandy@cvnm.org

CVNM -- Working to Hold Legislators Accountable and to Elect a Pro-Conservation Majority in New Mexico! Please join our efforts at www.CVNM.org

Editor's Note: You can read our previous posts on this issue here and here and here.

What We Can Do:
To express your views to Rep. Guitierrez about her unfortunate reversal on this harmful legislation, click here for contact info.

Please contact members of the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee ASAP and urge them to kill HB 178: click for contact info.

You might also consider FAIR Blogcontacting Governor Richardson's office. In his role as Governor and his campaign for president, the Gov. is portraying himself as strong on the environment but this bill, being helped along by a prominent Democratic legislator, would use NM taxpayer funds to help create another powerful producer of greenhouse gases in our state. SOMEONE convinced Rep. Gutierrez to change her mind on this bill. We don't know who it is, but chances are it was one or more prominent Democrats using political pressure.

Surface Owner Protection Act Passes First Committee in NM House

From the NM House Democratic Leadership:
House Bill 827—Surface Owners’ Protection Act, introduced by Rep. Andy Nuñez (D-Hatch), passed out of the NM House Health & Government Affairs Committee on Thursday with a vote of 6 to 0. It will be heard next in the Energy & Natural Resources Committee.

The bill would protect landowners who don’t also own the mineral rights below their land, which is common in New Mexico. Ranchers, farmers and homeowners have had more frequent complaints about damage and reduced property value in recent years because oil and gas drilling has increased.

Rep. Nuñez, cattlemen, environmentalists, and homeowners have been trying to reach a compromise on bill language with oil and gas industry representatives. However, those efforts reached an impasse in the committee meeting today when amendments to HB 827, supported by oil & gas representatives, were not adopted. Rep. Nuñez considered the amendments detrimental to his bill.

“We’ve been negotiating with representatives of the oil and gas industry for over two years and we already had an agreement on the issues that are being raised again today,” said Rep. Nuñez. “This whole situation reminds me of the negotiations between the United States and North Korea. And we’re the U.S.,” he added.

The Surface Owners’ Protection Act would require the oil and gas industry to notify landowners 30 days prior to any oil and gas operations, to describe the operations, and to propose a surface use and compensation agreement. The landowner then has 20 days to accept, negotiate, or reject the offer. If no agreement is reached between the landowner and company, a bond must be posted before operations begin and the landowner retains the right to bring legal action within six years if land damage occurs.

“The relationship between the oil and gas industry and the landowners is out of balance. Ranchers, farmers and other New Mexicans affected by oil and gas development on their land deserve to be respected and compensated,” said Nuñez.

The oil and gas industry in New Mexico has generated millions of dollars in company profits and tax revenues for the state general fund in many years. Since 2000, more than 2,000 new oil & gas well permits have been issued throughout the state per year.

If HB 827 becomes law, New Mexico will join 10 other states, including Texas, Wyoming, and Montana that have passed laws to protect surface owners. Governor Bill Richardson, the New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association, New Mexico Environmental Law Center, New Mexico San Juan Citizens Alliance, the Oil & Gas Accountability Project and other environmental groups all support the Surface Owner Protection Act.

Editor's Note: For more information, see our previous post. Supporters of this bill are urged to contact members of the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee to encourage their passage of this important legislation.

ALERT: NM House Bill for Tax Subsidies to Dirty Desert Rock Power Plant Introduced

Editor's Note: A version of this bill was previously introduced on the Senate side. See our earlier post. Now it's being pursued on the House side. I got the following alert via email from activists fighting the bill:

Please Call Today - STOP TAXPAYER SUBSIDIES FOR THE PROPOSED DIRTY DESERT ROCK POWER PLANT!

Soon, House Energy & Natural Resources Committee will be considering House Bill 178 which proposes an $85 million subsidy for the proposed Desert Rock coal-fired power plant. Please call House Energy and Natural Resource Committee Members and tell them to OPPOSE HB 178.

No subsidies or tax breaks to build a dirty plant for electricity to other states – NOT our money, not out of New Mexico’s pocket into Sithe Global’s wallet.

If Desert Rock is built, all the clean energy and anti-pollution progress we have made in New Mexico will be wasted. Sithe Global claims their plant would be a “clean” coal plant, but it would NOT meet New Mexico’s standards for power plants and would severely impact surrounding communities and add millions of pounds of carbon and mercury pollution into New Mexico’s air and water.

The legislature will be considering real clean energy legislation this session. Encourage your representative and members of the Energy & Natural Resource Committee to vote against dirty coal and for clean energy in 2007.

Please contact the following Energy & Natural Resource Committee Members. If you are in their district, please let them know.

Representative Jim Trujillo, Vice Chair
District 45, Capitol Phone: 986-4255
Email: jimtrujillo@msn.com

Representative James Roger Madalena, Chair
District 65, Capitol Phone: 986-4417
Email: jr_madalena@yahoo.com

Representative Thomas Anderson
District 29, Capitol Phone: 986-4452
Email: kb5ysg@arrl.net

Representative Paul Bandy
District 3, Capitol Phone: 986-4214
Email: paul@bandyranch.com

Representative Donald Bratton
District 62, Capitol Phone: 986-4427
Email: donbratton@valornet.com

Representative Candy Spence Ezzell
District 58, Capitol Phone: 986-4450
Email: csecows@aol.com

Representative Thomas Garcia
District 68, Capitol Phone: 986-4242
Email: ocate@hotmail.com

Representative William Gray
District 54, Capitol Phone: 986-4211
Email: wjgray@pvtnetworks.net

Representative Joni Marie Gutierrez
District 33, Capitol Phone: 986-4234
Email: jonig@zianet.com

Representative Jeff Steinborn
District 37, Capitol Phone: 986-4248
Email: jeff.steinborn@nmlegis.gov

Representative James R.J. Strickler
District 2, Capitol Phone: 986-4454
Email: jamesstrickler@msn.com

Questions? delschwartz@juno.com

Protect Future Generations from Hazardous Waste, Call Today to Oppose SB 279

From Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety:
The Environmental Covenants Bills, SB 279 and HB 48, would allow for less clean up at Department of Energy, mining and other hazardous waste sites in New Mexico. The bills would allow polluting companies to sell off contaminated lands without making every attempt to clean them up to fully protect human health and the environment.
   
These bills must be stopped to protect future generations! Voice your Opposition! Oppose SB 279!The hearing will be held at 2:30 PM, Tuesday, February 13, at the NM Senate Conservation Committee meeting, Room 311. Please call your state senators and express your opposition:

Senator Griego, Phil A. (D): Chair
District: 39, County(s): L.A.,Mora,Sand,S.M.,S.F. & Taos
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4861
E-mail: senatorgriego@yahoo.com

Taylor, James G. (D): Vice Chair
District: 14, County(s): Bernalillo & Valencia
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4862
E-mail: jamesg.taylor@nmlegis.gov

Sharer, William E. (R): Ranking Member
District: 1, County(s): San Juan
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4381
E-mail: bill@williamsharer.com

Altamirano, Ben D. (D)
District: 28, County(s): Catron, Grant & Socorro
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4733

Harden, Clinton D. (R)
District: 7, County(s): Col,Cur,Hard,Quay,SM,Taos&Union
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4369
E-mail: charden@theosogroup.com

Martinez, Richard C. (D)
District: 5, County(s): L. A., Rio Arriba & Santa Fe
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4389
E-mail: richard.martinez@nmlegis.gov

Payne, William H. (R)
District: 20, County(s): Bernalillo
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4276
E-mail: william.payne@nmlegis.gov

Pinto, John (D)
District: 3, County(s): McKinley & San Juan
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4835

Ryan, John C. (R)
District: 10, County(s): Bernalillo & Sandoval
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4373
E-mail: johnchrisryan@yahoo.com

-----------------------------------------------
Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety
107 Cienega Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501
Tel (505) 986-1973, Fax (505) 986-0997
www.nuclearactive.org

Stop NM Taxpayer Subsidies for Proposed Dirty Desert Rock Power Plant

"Woman in Gas Mask" (Credit: Small Axe Organization)

Editor's Note: Activists, including many Navajos, are opposing the construction of a huge, polluting, coal-fired power plant called the Desert Rock Power Plant in the Four Corners region. For more information, check our previous post on this. Now, a bill has been introduced in the NM Legislature to provide a generous tax subsidy to the company that plans to build the plant. Needless to say, there's a serious effort underway to fight this legislation, explained below. Be sure to explore the website mentioned below. It has an abundance of info, resources, photos and videos about the proposed coal-fired plant and the struggle to stop it.

From the Sierra Club, Dine CARE, Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy: The tax subsidy for dirty coal was tabled in the House. But the bill is still alive in the Senate. Please continue to support this effort by:

1. CALLING the Senators below and ask them to OPPOSE SB 431 . 
2. ATTENDING the “No to Desert Rock” Rally on FEBRUARY 5, 2:00-3:00 PM Round House Rotunda (northwest corner of Paseo de Peralta and Old Santa Fe Trail). For more information please go to: https://www.desert-rock-blog.com/blog

Please call, email or write your Senator and ask them to OPPOSE SB 431.

The Senate is currently considering an $85 million subsidy for the proposed Desert Rock coal-fired power plant. No subsidies or tax breaks to build a dirty plant for electricity to other states – NOT our money, not out of New Mexico ’s pocket into Sithe Global’s wallet.

Molly Hogue: Praying and Hoping for Change (Courtesy of Lori Goodman)

If Desert Rock is built, all the clean energy and anti-pollution progress we have made in New Mexico will be wasted. Sithe Global claims their plant would be a “clean” coal plant, but it would NOT meet New Mexico ’s standards for power plants and would severely impact surrounding communities and add millions of pounds of carbon and mercury pollution into New Mexico ’s air and water.

Tips: Please call AND write. If the Senator does not have an email or you would prefer to send a hand written letter, please fax the letter to 505-986-4280 or mail it to New Mexico State Capitol, Santa Fe, NM 87501.

Senator: Shannon Robinson, Chair
Corporations & Transportation Committee
District: 17, County(s): Bernalillo
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4856
E-mail: shannon.robinson@nmlegis.gov

Senator: Ben D. Altamirano, Sponsor of HB 431
District: 28, County(s): Catron, Grant & Socorro
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4733

Senator John Arthur Smith, Vice Chair
Revenue Stabilization & Tax Policy
District: 35, County(s): Hidalgo, Luna & Sierra
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4363
E-mail: john.smith@nmlegis.gov

Senator James G. Taylor
District: 14, County(s):Bernalillo & Valencia
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4862
E-mail: jamesg.taylor@nmlegis.gov

Senator Cisco McSorley (Chair of Judiciary)
Distict: 16, County(s): Bernalillo
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4485
E-mail: cisco.mcsorley@nmlegis.gov

Senator Bernadette M. Sanchez, Vice Chair
District: 26, County(s): Bernalillo
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4267

Senator Diane Snyder
District: 15, County(s): Bernalillo
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4375
E-mail: hdsnyder@spinn

Senator Mark Boitano
District: 18, County(s): Bernalillo
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4366
E-mail: boitanom@aol.com

Senator Dianna J. Duran
District: 40, County(s): Dona Ana & Otero
Capitol Office Phone: 585-9896
E-mail: dianna.duran@nmlegis.gov

Senator Phil A. Griego
District: 39, County(s) L.A. ,Mora,Sand,S.M.,S.F. & Taos
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4861
E-mail: senatorgriego@yahoo.com

Senator Stuart Ingle
District: 27, County(s): Chaves, Curry, De B & Roosevelt
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4702

Senator Cynthia Nava
District: 31, County(s): Dona Ana
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4834
E-mail: cynthia.nava@nmlegis.gov

Senator David Ulibarri
District 30, County(s): Cibola, Socorro & Valencia
Capitol Office Phone: 986-4260

Helpful Links:

Desert Rock Blog:
https://www.desert-rock-blog.com/blog

NM Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy:
https://www.nmccae.org/Legislature_07/index.htm

Sierra Club, Rio Grande Chapter:
https://riogrande.sierraclub.org/campaigns/desert_rock_power_plant/desertrock_power_plant.htm

Listen to NM Sen. Dede Feldman's Messages About Her 'Green' Bills

Sen. Dede Feldman (R) at Opening Day of Legislature
(Photo from Feldman blog)

From NM Senator Dede Feldman (D-13-Bernalillo):
Listen to Dede Feldman's short audio description of Senate Bills 542 (Energy-Efficient Appliance Tax Credit) and 543 (Sustainable Building Tax Credits) here (mp3). And here's more information (mp3) about Senate Bill 542, in which Senator Feldman tells consumers how to take advantage of the savings if SB 542 is passed.

You can express your support by contacting members of the Senate Corporations Committee at 1-505-986-4300 and asking for their extension, or by emailing them directly by clicking their email links below:

Sen. Shannon Robinson
Sen. Gerry Ortiz y Pino
Sen. Diane Snyder
Sen. Mark Boitano
Sen. Dianna Duran
Sen. Phil Griego
Sen. Stuart Ingle
Sen. Cynthia Nava
Sen. David Ulibarri

Here are links to the actual text of each of the two bills:
SB 542 (ENERGY-EFFICIENT APPLIANCE TAX CREDIT)
SB 543 (SUSTAINABLE BUILDING TAX CREDITS)

Editor's Note: You can visit Senator Feldman's blog at https://senatorfeldman.typepad.com/.

Citizen's Lobby Day on Surface Owners' Protection Act

Passed along by the Coalition for the Valle Vidal:
COME ONE! COME ALL! NM Surface Owners’ Protection Act Citizen’s Lobby Day and Press Conference

Representative Andy Nuñez (D-Hatch) invites you and yours to Santa Fe for a special press conference and citizen’s lobby day in support of the Surface Owners’ Protection Act, a strong bill that would protect landowners’ facing oil and gas development on their property:

Tuesday, January 30, 2007
11:00 AM – Citizen’s Lobby Orientation (location TBA)
12:30 PM – Press Conference, State Capitol Room 310
Santa Fe, New Mexico

A brief orientation session on the legislative process and the Surface Owners’ Protection Act will take place at 11:00 AM. We are in the process of confirming the location for this session. A press conference in support of the Surface Owners’ Protection Act will take place at 12:30 PM in Room 310 of the Roundhouse. Your attendance at the both the orientation and the press conference is requested. Those travelling to Santa Fe are encouraged to call their State Representatives and Senators and let them know you would like to meet next Tuesday to discuss the need for passage of a strong bill protecting landowners’ facing oil and gas development on their property. For a list of all legislators, visit https://legis.state.nm.us/lcs/

Background
The Surface Owners’ Protection Act, if passed, will for the first time, require companies in New Mexico to: notify landowners 30 days in advance of drilling operations; negotiate a surface use agreement with the landowner; and, adequately compensate the landowner for damages and use of the land. Representative Andy Nuñez (D-Hatch) has led the charge to pass the bill for the past two legislative sessions in Santa Fe. In 2005 the bill made it through the House of Representatives but
the session ended before the bill could be voted on in the Senate. In 2006 the bill was pulled because it was amended heavily in committee and watered down by the oil and gas industry to the point that it lacked key landowner protections. With your support and involvement, Representative Nuñez is hopeful the bill will pass in 2007. (Final bill language should be available on-line very soon). 

For more information, call Gwen at 970-759-4387.

Free Showing and Discussion: The Great Warming

UPCOMING EVENT/GLOBAL WARMING CONVERSATION
The Great Warming: A Free Showing and Discussion
Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2007, 6:30 PM
Lobo Theatre (3013 Central Ave, East of UNM, Albuquerque)

Stonehaven Productions, Montreal and Swiss Re, the world’s largest reinsurer, collaborate using scientist Lydia Dotto’s book "Storm Warning—Gambling with the Climate of our Planet" as a basis. Shot on location around the world from the high Canadian Arctic to the Altiplano of Peru to Inner Mongolia to Bangladesh, to downtown New York City, the film explores realistic solutions, technologies and actions to reduce the impact of climate change. The Great Warming also showcases initiatives aimed at reversing the trend toward permanent damage to our planet, as well as scenes documenting the emerging voice of America’s faith community urging action on climate change.

Narrated by Alanis Morissette and Keanu Reeves. Producers hope the film moves people to action. Click for the film's official website with reviews, additional information, photos, videos, suggestions on how you can get involved.

A short discussion and specific suggestions for action in New Mexico will follow the one and one-half hour film screening. All are welcome. Questions? Call 266-6966

Co-hosted by: Partnership for Earth Spirituality, The City on a Hill, Albuquerque Mennonite, Unitarian Universalists of Santa Fe, NM Interfaith Power and Light. The Great Warming has been endorsed by the National Council of Churches, Evangelical Environmental Network and the Coalition on Environment and Jewish Life.