Democracy for New Mexico

Jim O'Donnell Guest Blog: Oil and Gas Industry to Pay for Archaeological Excavations in New Mexico?

This is a guest blog by Jim O'Donnell, author and former coordinator of the Coalition for the Valle Vidal in northern New Mexico:

For seven years, I worked as a contract archaeologist for the oil and gas industry in the Southwest. Essentially, my job was to go out and locate archaeological resources on public lands that were threatened with oil and gas development. We recorded the archaeological sites, marked them both on maps and in the field for the industry folks to avoid and, in some cases, excavated them prior to development.

That's why I found this interesting:

The Bureau of Land Management announced Tuesday that it has signed an agreement with the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division and the federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation that will give oil and gas developers an option of funding excavation work and other studies rather than paying for archaeological surveys when they propose new development.

Over the past few years, I have written a number of times on my experiences as an archaeologist working on public lands in the Southwest. It wasn’t pretty.

The oil and gas industry in New Mexico is completely out of control, taking private property, poisoning water supplies and leaving taxpayers to fund the clean up. Destruction of archaeological resources by the oil and gas industry was also wide-spread when I was in the field. Often times it was done right in front of the archaeologists who were working to protect those sites. It was worse in New Mexico than any of the other states I worked in. Most often, the contract archaeology higher ups and the bosses at the land management agencies (mostly the BLM) turned a blind eye to this destruction. They didn’t want to lose the contract. It got to be so bad that I eventually quit archaeology. Seeing those sites destroyed drilled a hole in my heart.

Under the new agreement, oil and gas developers who participate in the voluntary program will not have to pay for a survey but they will be required to pay a special fee that will go toward excavation and other research. The BLM expects to raise about $1 million a year.

I'm suspicious.

Typically, when industry wants to develop a chunk of public land, they have to pay a contract archaeology company to survey the area and record the sites. Then, the company decides if they want to excavate the site or go around it. In my experience, they often simply go through the site.

This new agreement covers only the portion of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land down in the southeast corner of New Mexico where oil and gas development has been going full-bore since the 1930s. It is an area I know well. I’ve walked literally hundreds of miles in the area on archaeological survey. Because development has been going on there for so long, by far the majority of the archaeological sites on public land in the area have been found and recorded - some many times over.

However, not much is known about the sites themselves, making it difficult for the agency to manage them accordingly.

"We haven't excavated hardly anything so we have a very poor handle on what kind of data they contain, what kind of information we can learn from them, what they're telling us about human adaptation to the desert in that part of the trans-Pecos area," he said.

True. If we are to expand our knowledge of the people that were in the area before Euro-Americans came on the scene, we need to do some excavations. We need to find out what is in those sites. What kind of artifacts? What kind of pollen sits at the bottom of the fire pits? Its a lot of information to get a hold of. Excavations are expensive and so, throughout the West, our knowledge gathering abilities when it comes to ancient cultures have been hampered over the past two decades by a lack of money.

Essentially, what this agreement says is that industry can go ahead and develop public lands without paying for archaeological surveys prior to the project. Instead, they simply have to pay into a BLM fund geared toward excavating some of the sites in the area that have been already recorded.

There are critics who make some good points:

... archaeology can damage the very resources it's designed to protect, said Jim Walker, director of the national nonprofit Archaeological Conservancy's Southwest region.

"An archaeological site is a set of clues and we'll never have those clues again in the same order. An archaeologist destroys an archaeological site as he or she excavates," Walker said. "And we also know that archaeology is a changing science and we're always coming up with new ideas and new techniques and the only way we can test a new idea or new technique is on an unexcavated archaeological site."

Another concern is that a few sites could be lost each year if companies decide to participate in the voluntary program rather than pay for an archaeological survey. But Fosberg said the benefits outweigh the potential loss.

"We can excavate sites ... and actually do some real science and learn from them," he said. "The fact of the matter is we're losing sites anyway because of this cumulative effect of development."

While these critiques are valid and need to be closely considered, overall, it seems to me like this agreement is a good idea. I almost can’t believe I'm saying this because this is the New Mexico BLM ... an agency geared towards the production of oil and gas above all other values. Yet, excavating even some of the sites in that area will advance our knowledge of long-dead cultures tremendously.

To be sure, this is a win for industry. Development projects will move forward much faster and much cheaper under this scenario. Without a doubt, many previously unknown sites will be destroyed in the process – but they destroy a lot of them even when they know about them. It is also a win for the BLM. That agency is under tremendous stress. Not only because they have fewer personnel and money by the day but because the state-director has almost all the remaining personnel busy processing drilling permits as fast as possible. They don’t want to deal with the 'problems' caused by the laws protecting archaeological resources.

But it’s clear that the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) sees a possible benefit to this approach. The state archaeologist’s office knows full well that many sites are destroyed by the oil and gas industry and they are essentially powerless to do anything about it. Also, they know that most of the sites in this area are already recorded. They’re trying to make the best of a bad situation. Until this nation gets itself off the drug of fossil fuels, we will continue to be forced into the false choice of bad options.

My worry is that BLM will use the money they collect for the excavation program for something other than excavation – like processing more drilling permits.

I'm going to remain suspicious. I don’t trust the New Mexico BLM. Let's see if they use that money for excavations.

Let's just see.

This is a guest blog by Jim O’Donnell, who is the former coordinator of the Coalition for the Valle Vidal. He is also the author of "Notes for the Aurora Society," due out later this summer. He writes, walks and marvels from northern New Mexico.

Guest blogs provide our readers with an opportunity to express their opinions on pertinent political issues. If you'd like to submit a piece for consideration as a guest blog, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link on the upper left-hand corner of the page.

Technorati Tags:Jim O'Donnell, New Mexico, New Mexico Bureau of Land Management, archaeology, public lands, oil, gas

NM-Sen: Defenders Launches Second TV Ad Blasting Pearce & Wilson

The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund launched its second TV ad today blasting Republican Reps. Steve Pearce and Heather Wilson as being two bad for New Mexico due to their unethical behavior and anti-conservation voting records.

Rep. Wilson is criticized in the ad for pressuring U.S. Attorney David Iglesias to put politics before the law, and voting to give oil companies billions of dollars in tax breaks.  As reported in the newspaper Roll Call last week, Rep. Pearce is criticized for ignoring clear conflicts of interest while selling his oil company for millions of dollars above its apparent value, and for voting against prosecuting price gouging at the gas pump.

"New Mexican families deserve better representation in the U.S. Senate than either Steve Pearce or Heather Wilson," said Defenders Action Fund President Rodger Schlickeisen. "Steve Pearce and Heather Wilson have behaved with shockingly questionable ethics and voted against the interests of a sound energy policy. New Mexican families deserve an honest, sensible voice in Washington that looks out for their interests, and that is Tom Udall."

The ad will be broadcast statewide, and follows Defenders Action Fund's previous TV ad criticizing Pearce and Wilson as being "two bad for New Mexico" for putting the interests of big oil companies before those of ordinary New Mexican families.

Technorati Tags:Steve Pearce, Heather Wilson, Tom Udall, New Mexico, Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, political ads, NM-Sen

Defenders Action Fund Launches Canvass Operation to Elect Tom Udall

Two sides of the same bad coin

Don't just sit there hoping good candidates will win. Do something about it. Like joining the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund canvassing efforts here in New Mexico:

Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund launched its canvass operation on May 1st in Albuquerque as part of its comprehensive campaign to help elect Tom Udall to the U.S. Senate. The campaign started with 15 canvassers going out daily to talk to swing voters about Reps. Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce’s out-of-touch values and record of misplaced priorities, and to persuade these voters to support Rep. Tom Udall for the U.S. Senate, who has been a true champion for ordinary New Mexican families.

The canvass operation will swell up in size during the general election, and the campaign estimates that its combined staff and volunteer canvass efforts will result in a quarter million doors knocked on by the election in November.

“Our campaign is looking forward to taking our message directly to the voters about why Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce are two bad for New Mexico,” said Ed Yoon, the group’s state campaign manager. “Wilson and Pearce voted to give oil companies billions of dollars in tax breaks while we pay more than $3.50 per gallon, and their corrupt behaviors have earned them the distinguished shame of being called ‘two of the 22 most corrupt members of Congress’.”[1]

“We will encourage voters to support Tom Udall, who has consistently championed the values and priorities of ordinary New Mexicans concerned about improving the quality of life for themselves, their families and their communities.”

Read more about this effort here. A volunteer canvass will take place every Saturday from today until November. Defenders will provide all the materials, lunch, snacks and water you need. To sign up for canvassing, call or e-mail Brian McGann at: (505) 248-0118 x 3; or email BMcGann@DefendersActionFund.org. You can also learn more or sign up as a volunteer at 2Bad4NM.org.

[1] Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Beyond DeLay

Technorati Tags:Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Tom Udall, Heather Wilson, Steve Pearce, Two Bad 4 New Mexico, NM-Sen, U.S. Senate

26 Defective Groundwater Monitoring Wells Discovered at Sandia Labs

From Citizen Action:
Citizen Action, a public interest group, has obtained a list of 26 groundwater monitoring wells throughout Sandia National Laboratories that require plugging and abandonment with installation of replacement wells. The list was obtained by Citizen Action after making a public records request to the New Mexico Environment Department. 

Citizen Action and Robert H. Gilkeson, a ground water expert and geological scientist formerly employed by Los Alamos National Laboratories as lead consultant, filed complaints with the Department of Energy, the Environment Department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that the wells installed at Cold War-era waste sites located at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, are not in compliance with federal and state regulations. Following the complaints of Citizen Action and Gilkeson, NMED has produced a report that describes the need for the replacement of wells at waste sites such as the Mixed Waste Landfill, the Chemical Waste Landfill, the Tijeras Arroyo groundwater and Technical Area V. The NMED report identifies the problems with the existing monitoring wells to include:

• corroded stainless steel wells screens,
• low water levels,
• high concentrations of nickel and chromium,
• well screens cross contaminating different strata,
• well screens that have filled with sediment,
• well screens that are too deep to monitor the aquifer,
• wells that were never properly designed or developed for groundwater monitoring,
• wells that represent a conduit to the groundwater for solvents,
• improper sampling methods

All of these problems were identified in the complaints of Citizen Action and Mr. Gilkeson.  Several of the monitoring wells were supposed to have served the purpose of monitoring for contamination after the closure of the various sites.  Several of the wells supposedly had projected well lives left of up to 15 years but have failed for numerous reasons. 

Citizen Action and hydrologist Gilkeson have stated repeatedly that the wells installed at the Mixed Waste Landfill are constructed in a way that can actually “hide” contaminants and that the well monitoring network has never been capable of furnishing reliable monitoring data. The Mixed Waste Landfill contains an estimated 720,000 cubic ft. of radioactive and hazardous waste disposed of in unlined pits and trenches over a 30-year period.

Gilkeson stated that “NMED is on the right track with requiring replacement of four of the monitoring wells at the Mixed Waste Landfill. But, three more of the wells at the legacy waste dump also require replacement because they are in the wrong location, contaminated with drilling muds, or too deep to monitor at the water table for contamination beneath an unlined trench where 270,000 gallons of radioactive wastewater was disposed of.  There were never any monitoring wells at the Mixed Waste dump that were able to detect contaminants that may have already reached the ground water.  The MWL dump never had any monitoring wells that met requirements of state and federal law.” 

Gilkeson’s recommendations first came to light for Sandia beginning in May 2006.  In March of 2007 Citizen Action and Gilkeson requested that the US EPA conduct a review of the monitoring network at the Mixed Waste dump. 

According to Dave McCoy, Director of Citizen Action, “EPA entered into discussions with the Environment Department regarding our concerns and four new replacement wells were ordered.  However, the EPA Region 6 attempted to whitewash the extent of the problem and concluded there was no threat to the groundwater.  We are currently demanding and will receive an investigation of that EPA coverup.  The worthless groundwater monitoring data from these defective wells continues to be misrepresented by Sandia to allow the wastes to remain in place under a dirt cover.  There is no technical basis for the dirt cover.  The large number of defective wells in the NMED released report shows that the problem of detecting groundwater contamination at Sandia has not been in compliance with state and federal law.  The extent of groundwater contamination at Sandia is not properly understood to protect public and the environment.” 

NMED issued a permit to Sandia to cover the dump with 3 ft. of dirt -despite Sandia’s predictions that a cancer-causing solvent known as PCE will seep into Albuquerque’s drinking water by the year 2010.  In fact the groundwater may already be contaminated with PCE and the defective monitoring network has hidden this knowledge.   NMED has refused the 3 ft of dirt as a remedy to protect a similar but much smaller dump at Los Alamos National Laboratory. 

Gilkeson said, “NMED should defer placing the dirt cover on the dump until reliable water quality data is collected from a new network of monitoring wells to investigate ground water contamination that may already exist.”   

Citizen Action is being sued by the Environment Department for its request for a TechLaw report regarding contamination that could reach groundwater from the Mixed Waste Landfill.  McCoy stated further, “Obtaining this list of defective wells at Sandia further underscores the importance of the public having full access to public records in this state.” 

Gilkeson cited similar problems with the network of monitoring wells installed at waste sites at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Recent reports by the Department of Energy (DOE) Inspector General, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Academy of Sciences support Gilkeson’s concerns for the monitoring wells at LANL.  These reports give further weight to Gilkeson’s concerns for the monitoring wells at Sandia.

The deficiencies found in the monitoring wells and sampling procedures for waste sites at both Sandia and LANL raise serious questions about the state’s and the labs’ ability to adequately protect the water resources of New Mexico.

The Mixed Waste dump is located adjacent to the Mesa del Sol, a residential development with plans to drill a series of wells to supply drinking water for future residents. 

To read the some of the numerous documents by Citizen Action and Robert H. Gilkeson submitted to the NMED concerning well monitoring network problems and the long-term plan for the Mixed Waste Landfill see the Citizen Action website at:  www.radfreenm.org. Citizen Action is a project of the New Mexico Community Foundation.

Technorati Tags:Citizen Action, New Mexico, Albuquerque, Los Alamos, Los Alamos National Laboratories, Sandia National Laboratories, u.S. Environmental Protection Agency, New Mexico Environment Department, chemical waste, ground water

NM-03: Sierra Club Endorses Luján

From Luján for Congress:
The national Sierra Club and the Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club have jointly announced that they are endorsing Public Regulation Commissioner and U.S. Congressional candidate Ben R. Luján.

The Sierra Club joins the national League of Conservation Voters and Conservation Voters New Mexico as major environmental organizations recognizing Luján’s outstanding environmental record and commitment to fighting global warming.

“We are very pleased to announce today that the Sierra Club officially endorses Ben Ray Lujan for election to the United States Congress,” said Susan Martin, Chair of the Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club. “In his excellent record as Chairman of the Public Regulation Commission he has shown himself to be a strong environmental leader, and we are confident he will continue to work to protect our environment, our families and our future.”

“Commissioner Ben R. Lujan has demonstrated bold leadership at the PRC that has made New Mexico a leader in addressing global warming and protected New Mexicans from high fossil-fuel prices,” said Tom Robey, political chair of the Rio Grande Chapter.

Along with the endorsement, the Sierra Club will lend its volunteer strength to Lujan’s campaign.

“I am honored to have the Sierra Club’s endorsement. In Congress, I will continue to stand up for New Mexico and our values,” Luján said. “New Mexico has already experienced millions of dollars in renewable-energy development through our Renewable Portfolio Standards. As a nation we must fuel economic development and create jobs by making a serious commitment to a major transition of our energy structure.” 

Under Luján’s leadership as chairman, the PRC implemented some of the highest renewable-energy requirements in the nation -- utilities must provide 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020. Luján fought to pass those standards in the Legislature.

Luján also joined leaders of utility commissions in California, Oregon and Washington state in forming the Joint Action Framework on Climate Change to take regional action to fight global warming.

In addition to raising net-metering limits to increase incentives for individuals and businesses to generate their own clean energy, Lujan pushed for PRC requirements for utilities to diversify their renewable-energy portfolio and develop more solar and other clean sources of energy, encouraging creation of green-collar jobs in New Mexico

“Having been endorsed by the League of Conservation Voters, Conservation Voters New Mexico and now the Sierra Club’s national and regional chapters is a responsibility I take very seriously,” said Luján. “New Mexicans value our great outdoors, and in Congress I will fight to protect our wild lands, curb global warming and make America energy-independent.”

Ben R. Luján is a New Mexico Public Regulation commissioner and past PRC chairman who is running for U.S. Congress in New Mexico’s 3rd District. He has been a leading proponent of renewable-energy development and advocate for consumers’ rights and improved access to health care.

Technorati Tags:Ben R. Lujan, NM-03, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Sierra Club, Democrats, U.S. House, primaries

Action Alert & Campaign Updates: Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund

From Ed Yoon, Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund:
Starting today, I greatly look forward to communicating with you about our campaign periodically to share with you exciting updates and new and ongoing action opportunities. As we grow in staff numbers, we will be expanding our campaign activities beyond the Albuquerque area, so please be patient and stay tuned if you would like to be part of our campaign efforts but do not see any activity nearby where you live. We will also look forward to getting ideas from you about campaign activities that you would like to see us organize. I thank you in advance for your support of our campaign’s work.  Together, we will win in November.

1. SATURDAY, MAY 3RD: VOLUNTEER CANVASS AND LUNCH: Our volunteer canvass starts on Saturday, May 3rd and recurs every Saturday thereafter.  We will provide free sandwiches and snacks and water bottles to make sure you’re fed and energized, and we will have all the materials ready for you, so you just have to RSVP and show up!  You will also get to meet some of our new staff members.

Please join us at our temporary campaign office located at: Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, 824 Gold Ave SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102

Please RSVP so that we know how many walk packets and food to prepare.  You can call or e-mail Brian McGann to RSVP at: (505) 248-0118 x 3; or BMcGann@DefendersActionFund.org. Starting June 1st when we move into our new spacious office, we will expand our volunteer canvass days and hours to any available Mondays through Saturdays.

2. CAMPAIGN UPDATES

Have you seen our “2 Bad for New Mexico” TV and radio ads? Some of you may have seen our recent TV ad or heard our radio ad on broadcast calling Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce for what they are: “Two Bad for New Mexico”.  If you haven’t, you can visit our campaign website www.2bad4nm.org to view and hear the ads.

Our campaign team is growing! Our campaign has recently hired a highly experienced Field Director, several Field Organizers, and an experienced Media Coordinator to start very soon in May and June as part of our first wave of staff expansion, with more on the way.

Canvassing starting May 1st through Election Day to help elect Tom Udall to the U.S. Senate. The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund is starting our full-time canvass to persuade swing voters to support Tom Udall every Monday-Saturday from May 1st through Election Day.  We will also eventually endorse and work to help elect the pro-conservation candidate for President starting in the summer.

3. MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: Our campaign has recently been featured on several media outlets:

• Santa Fe New Mexican: April 9, 2008: Wildlife Group Targets NM Senate Race
• Associated Press, Las Cruces Sun News, KOAT-ABC7 TV and KVIA-ABC7 TV: April 10, 2008: Environmental group targets NM Republican Senate candidates
• Albuquerque Journal: April 10, 2008: Jeff Jones’ Reporter’s Notebook
• Environment & Energy News: April 15, 2008: Defenders of Wildlife Fires First Shot in NM Senate Race
• Blogs: Democracy for New Mexico, New Mexico FBIHOP, Steve Terrell's Web Log, and Daily Kos.

Thank you for your support, and together, let’s win this darn thing!

Ed Yoon
New Mexico Campaign Manager
Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund
www.2Bad4NM.org

See some of our previous posts on Defenders of Wildlife's activities in New Mexico here, here, and here.

Technorati Tags:Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Tom Udall, NM-Sen, U.S. Senate, political action

Sierra Club Endorses Tom Udall for Senate on Earth Day 2008

The early support from environmental groups for Rep. Tom Udall's U.S. Senate run is strong indeed. The Sierra Club has now joined the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, the League of Conservation Voters and the Conservation Voters New Mexico in officially endorsing Udall. Rep. Udall's campaign released the following statement today about the latest endorsement:

As Congressman Tom Udall accepted the Sierra Club's endorsement for his United States Senate campaign this Earth Day, he reflected on their legislative accomplishments and pledged to continue fighting for our nation's long-term energy security.

"The Sierra Club has been a leader in New Mexico and around the nation to sensibly promote, restore and maintain our ecosystem and natural resources," said Udall. "This Earth Day, I can reflect on the many things we have accomplished together and look forward to continuing the fight for conservation and energy independence in the Senate."

During Udall's near-decade of service in the House of Representatives, and with the crucial support of the Sierra Club, Udall has championed policies to federally protect cherished places in New Mexico like the Valle Vidal, Ojito Wilderness Area and the Valles Caldera. Together they built coalitions of environmentalists, ranchers, sportsmen and local governments all committed to conserving these treasured landscapes that buoy the surrounding rural economies and boast a wide range of activities for New Mexicans and visitors to enjoy.

"Thanks to our work together, thousands of New Mexicans can enjoy these unparalleled lands for hiking, hunting, and outdoor activities for future generations to come," Udall noted.

The congressman also earned the 1.3-million-member strong Sierra Club's endorsement for Senate because for his extensive efforts to move America towards a new, more stable, energy future.

Said Udall, "On Earth Day and everyday we have a solemn responsibility to protect our planet. As a United States Senator, I will continue the fight to end our fossil fuel addiction, develop alternative sources of energy, secure our energy independence and reduce green house gas emissions in the Senate. For me, and so many New Mexicans, these are more than buzzwords, they are the economic future of our state and the moral imperative of this country."

Three Common-Sense Energy Proposals
Among many, Udall described three common-sense proposals he says will not only help redefine the way we look at energy, but do so in a way that creates jobs.

The first is his plan to establish a federal Renewable Electricity Standard (RES), under which big electric utilities would be required to chip in by providing 15 percent of their electricity from wind, solar and other renewable energy sources by 2020.

"Not only will this help us meet our growing demand for electricity – it will create thousands of jobs, lower energy prices, a nation less dependent on foreign oil and significant reductions of greenhouse gas emissions," Udall said. "This plan would also revitalize rural America by helping farmers and rural land owners by creating a new revenue stream for their future."

With the backing of the Sierra Club, Udall fought for the inclusion of an RES, which passed the House twice despite long odds last year, in the Energy bill last year. But as he said, "It died at the hands of a slim minority in the Senate."

The congressman also plans to keep extending renewable energy and efficiency tax credits to promote stable growth in the industry.

"Not only would these tax credits translate into a reduction in residential and commercial energy costs, but they generate new domestic green collar jobs, and boost the economy," said Udall. "Renewable energy sources are proven economic engines for our country."

Finally, Udall also promised to continue his work to ensure the government does its share to reduce its carbon footprint by encouraging "Green Building," on the federal and commercial level.

"The plan I have successfully championed requires improved Federal and commercial building energy efficiency, with green building standards for new federal buildings and a zero net energy initiative to develop technologies, practices and policies to reach the goal of having all commercial buildings use no net energy by 2050. We've accomplished much in this area, but we can and must do more.

He said that the government should extend and expand tax credits for individuals, builders and businesses that use energy-saving technologies and applauded the efforts already underway in New Mexico.

"As we celebrate this Earth Day, I encourage you to enjoy the unparalleled beauty of New Mexico's open spaces and to do your part in conserving energy and natural resources so that, together, we can work to stop the ravages that global warming will have on our entire planet," concluded Udall.

Udall's father Stewart was Interior Secretary under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and his uncle Morris spent three decades in the Congress working on these issues.

Tom Udall served as a member of the House Natural Resources Committee for eight years. He currently sits on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment.

Photo Credit: Steve Terrell.

True Blue New Mexico supports Tom Udall for U.S. Senate. You can sign up to support Udall's campaign here. To see our previous coverage of the 2008 U.S. Senate race in New Mexico, visit our archive.

Technorati Tags:Tom Udall, U.S. Senate, Democrats, New Mexico, Sierra Club, Earth Day, renewable electricity standard, Valle Vidal, Ojito Wilderness Area, Valles Caldera

Guest Blog by Laura Paskus: Reasons for Hope on Earth Day in New Mexico, 2008

This is a guest blog by Laura Paskus. Laura is a writer living in Albuquerque.

I’ve never been one to skirt an issue. So here it is: New Mexicans have a lot to worry about when it comes to the environment and healthy communities. 

That said, there many reasons for hope.

Okay, first, the bad news: Climate scientists predict a drier future for the Southwest; uranium companies are looking to resume mining in the state; a coal-fired power plant is poised for construction on the Navajo reservation; the state may end up being home to a second uranium enrichment facility, as well as a brand-new Plutonium pit factory; and Sen. Domenici thinks bringing even more nuclear waste into the state is a good idea.

Right here in Albuquerque, families in the South Valley live in communities that—thanks to a continuing history of heavy industry—aren’t always safe and healthy; 57,000 acres of a former land grant are slated for residential and/or energy development; and some local lawmakers think it is acceptable—despite knowing what we do about climate change, as well as dwindling water and fossil fuel supplies—to encourage more unsustainable sprawl along the edges of the city.

But now for the good news:  There are plenty of national and grassroots environmental organizations here in New Mexico, and many of them are doing amazing work on issues ranging from the restoration of wolves and the protection of endangered butterflies to the conservation of groundwater resources and the environmental education of our children. 

There are also those who have made great personal sacrifices to protect New Mexico. Consider Greg and Trish Mello of the Los Alamos Study Group, who have worked tirelessly to educate New Mexicans about issues at the nuclear laboratory to our north. Or Elouise Brown, president of the Navajo resistance organization, Dooda Desert Rock. She’s been working 24-7, she says, organizing opposition to the proposed Desert Rock coal-fired power plant since she was a volunteer for the organization and the president “decided to jump off.” She took over and hasn’t taken a moment’s rest from organizing yet. 

Other people who work hard to make Albuquerque a more sustainable community include Monte Skarsgard, who started the community supported agriculture project at Los Poblanos Organics; volunteers with the Ditches With Trails project; and Vince Case, a teacher with the South Valley’s alternative School on Wheels.  (By the way, I’m just going to leave it at these few folks, although I keep thinking of more and more names to list.) 

There is also a small, but very committed, group of activists and bloggers educating the public about TIDDS, or Tax Increment Development Districts. This isn’t sexy stuff, nor is it easy to explain.  It’s a complicated and frustrating issue, and I’m particularly grateful to Gabriel Nims with , Anne Stauffer with New Mexico Voices for Children and Javier Benavidez with for having patiently explained the issue to me recently.  (Keep TIDDS on your radar, folks. Particularly once the next legislative session begins.)

I also recently interviewed Bianca Encinas, an organizer with the Southwest Network for Environmental and Economic Justice. One of the things she spoke about was the need for environmental organizations to build relationship with land grant and acequia movements.

“Yes, you can be fighting for your water rights,” she says, “but if you’re water is contaminated…That is impacting the cycle of life, right? So land rights and water rights, those struggles are not separate from environmental justice.” 

She also talked about the need for more studies about how toxins affect women, particularly women living in communities of color or low-income communities, where people are more regularly exposed to toxins. “In the past, women fought for the right to have access to abortions and the right to birth control,” she says. “Now, it’s almost like the reproductive movement is teaming up with the environmental justice movement for the right to have a child—a healthy child—and to have the opportunity to breastfeed.” 

And while I was interviewing the founder and executive director of the New Mexico Environmental Law Center, Douglas Meiklejohn, he offered some advice for communities facing environmental or health threats. 

“The first thing I would say is you can do something,” he said:

“I think a lot of people—although I think this is less true than it used to be— feel, ‘these are forces that are beyond my control and I can’t do anything about them.’ That’s not accurate. You can do something about them. Witness the fact that uranium mining hasn’t begun in Crownpoint and Church Rock. Look at what happened in Sunland Park and Chaparral (where the communities organized against a landfill and a medical incinerator). People can do things. People can organize. And people can have an impact.”

The second thing, he said, is that people must go at a situation “every single way you can”:

In the uranium mining situation, for example, there are about four different arenas in which we are fighting that proposal to mine uranium in Crownpoint and Church Rock….The worst thing that a community can do in terms of taking on one of these fights is to put all of its eggs in one basket, because normally that doesn’t pay off.

And while I don’t presume to have expertise or insight comparable to people such as Meiklejohn, if I could offer one piece of advice, it would be this: Hold servants of the public accountable, but do not put your faith in elected officials. 

I realize that is not what people want to hear right now, especially since this is such an important election year in New Mexico. But there is greater reward, I believe, in placing  your faith in neighbors and friends, brothers and sisters—and together, working toward a more sustainable future. 

Last spring, I listened to the writer Barry Lopez speak in Santa Fe. "If your deepest commitment is to be in power, you are a burden to society," he said.

Love is about commitment, he said, and love needs to be the foundation of government. But what he said next struck me most of all: “It's okay to be in love with the world and to articulate that.”

I think Mr. Lopez has it exactly right: Articulate your love of the world, of your community, of your neighbors. Only then can a sustainable future—for all New Mexicans—become a reality.

This is a guest blog by Laura Paskus. Guest blogs provide our readers with an opportunity to express themselves on issues relevant to the DFNM blog. If you'd like to submit a post for consideration as a guest blog, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link on the upper left-hand corner of the page.

Technorati Tags:Earth Day, Laura Paskus, Albuquerque, New Mexico, climate, uranium mining, coal, plutonium pits, Navajos, Los Alamos Study Group, Dooda Desert Rock, 1000 Friends of New Mexico, TIDD, New Mexico Voices for Children, Conservation Voters New Mexico, Southwest Network for Environmental and Economic Justice, water, New Mexico Environmental Law Center, Los Poblanos Organics, Ditches With Trails, School on Wheels, Barry Lopez

(Updated) Tonight at ABQ City Council: Important Votes on TIDDs et al.

UPDATE: The measure to preclude TIDDs from being used to support sprawl development on Albuquerque's edges was defeated 5-4. All the Repubs voted against the change and only one Dem voted for it. Surprise, it was Marty Chavez's point guy, Ken Sanchez. See Coco for more on the story.
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I posted about this last week, but I wanted to give you another reminder: The Albuquerque City Council will be taking up a number of important items related to the environment and development at its meeting tonight at 5:00 PM at the Vincent Griego Chambers, Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Government Building, 1 Civic Plaza. We need to turn out in force to demonstrate our support for a number of important matters.

Besides bills related to toxic mining on public lands and conserving our limited water supply, tonight's agenda includes a critical item on those infamous TIDDs -- Tax Increment Development Districts. The measure to be discussed seeks to limit the use of such financing so that it does not subsidize sprawl growth at the city's edges. TIDDs were originally designed to encourage infill development in the city, not vast subdivisions far from our urban center.

You can learn more about TIDDs in an article by Marjorie Childress at the new online newspaper, The New Mexico Independent. (By the way, I expect that The Independent will quickly become a daily must-visit site for readers seeking aggressive -- but fair -- news coverge about everything from politics to the environment to poverty issues. Go see for yourself.)

Also, today's Albuquerque Journal features an op-ed about tonight's TIDD ordinance by ABQ City Councilors Isaac Benton, Michael Cadigan and Rey Garduño entitled, "Subsidizing Growth on Fringes of City Wrong Policy." Excerpts:

... Rapid development has increasingly occurred on the city's edges, contributing to New Mexico's rank as sixth in the nation for vehicle miles traveled per driver— about 18,500 miles per driver per year. Between 1980 and 2005, New Mexico's population grew by 48 percent, but our vehicle miles traveled grew by 112 percent. As a result, vehicle emissions are the fastest growing and second largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the state.

Sprawling growth trends in Albuquerque also mean that the open space and working landscapes that we value in New Mexico are disappearing. Nationally, according to the American Farmland Trust, the United States loses 3,000 acres of farmland to sprawl every day.

Many other cities around the country have made decisions to increase affordable residential options in their urban centers and guide development toward vacant land within the city's core, where residents who need it most can access public transit to and from work.

... The city of Albuquerque, however, with the help of the state's Tax Increment Development District (TIDD) policy, has done the opposite by subsidizing sprawling "greenfield" development on the city's fringe.

Tonight, the Albuquerque City Council will consider an ordinance that would get us moving in the right direction by limiting the city's use of TIDDs.

Although originally used to incentivize urban infill development where revitalization efforts would not occur otherwise, TIDDs could fuel development on the outskirts, providing up to 75 percent of the district's incremental gross receipts and property tax revenues for up to 25 years.

By subsidizing the growth of development on the city's edges, state economists estimate that even more homebuyers and businesses will be lured out of the existing community and into the fringe developments, cannibalizing our urban core and increasing hazardous automobile emissions throughout our city.

... If we're going to reduce pollution and protect what we love about our community, we need to end incentives that drive development to our edges and instead promote smart, infill development and redevelopment. This ordinance will bring forward-thinking leadership to protecting Albuquerque's environment and quality of life.

Lauren Ketcham, director of Environment New Mexico, and Javier Benavidez of Conservation Voters New Mexico also contributed to this commentary.

Technorati Tags:TIDD, Tax Increment Development District, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque City Council, The New Mexico Independent

Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund Radio Ad: Pearce & Wilson Protect Polluters

The direct hits just keep coming for the candidates vying for the Repub nomination in the U.S. Senate race in New Mexico. The latest revelations call out Reps. Steve Pearce and Heather Wilson for their nasty habit of taking campaign contributions from corporate interests that harm the environment -- and reciprocating by doing the polluters' dirty work in Washington.

The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund launched a new radio ad today denouncing Pearce and Wilson as “a flip of the coin” when it comes to protecting producers of a potential carcinogen contaminating New Mexico water supplies from liability -- while accepting tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from those companies. You can listen to the ad here. It will run for a week, starting today, on KKSS-FM 97.3, KKOB-FM 93.3, KMGA-FM 99.5, KBQI-FM 107.9, KRST-FM 92.3 and KPEK-FM 100.3.

“Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce are two bad for New Mexicans concerned about their water quality safety,” said Ed Yoon, Defenders Action Fund’s New Mexico Campaign Manager. “Shame on them for protecting toxic chemical producers rather than their constituents, who are at risk from MTBE-contaminated water.”

According to data provided by Defenders, New Mexico has hundreds of sites where the groundwater is contaminated with the toxic chemical called Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether, better known abbreviated as MTBE, which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies as a “potential carcinogen.”[1]  It is often released into groundwater and surface water through underground storage tanks and pipelines, spills or emissions.

Reps. Pearce and Wilson, however, voted to give the producers of this toxic chemical immunity from legal action for contaminating New Mexico’s water systems, including drinking water from tap sources.

Further infomation documents that in 2005, Wilson and Pearce supported an effort to protect producers of MTBE from lawsuits that stemmed from contaminated drinking water sources. At that time, the nation had 1,861 water systems in 29 states with traces of MTBE and several communities were suing the manufacturers to help pay for the cleanups. The legal shield to protect MTBE manufacturers was championed by the former disgraced House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), whose state is home to several manufacturers of MTBE.

A chart provided by Defenders based on FEC campaign reports shows that Rep. Wilson received $61,500 and Rep. Pearce received $44,500 from the lobbyists representing the makers of MTBE. Even more scandalous, both Wilson and Pearce took campaign money directly before – and directly after – voting to protect the makers of MTBE.[2]

Contributions from Producers of MTBE

Rep.Heather Wilson 2004-06	Producers of MTBE	Rep. Steve Pearce 2004-06
$27,500	Valero Energy	$17,000
$15,000	Exxon Mobil	$16,500
$13,000	Chevron Texaco	$7,000
$4,000	BP	$4,000
$2,000	Lyondell Chemical
$61,500	TOTAL	$44,500

“New Mexico deserves better than politicians like Pearce and Wilson that would rather protect their chemical industry campaign contributors than preventing health risks to ordinary families due to toxic chemicals,” Yoon continued. “Our campaign will continue to highlight their terribly long record of serving special interests over people’s interests.”

For more information, please go to www.2Bad4NM.org.

[1] www.epa.gov
[2] Center for Responsive Politics; www.fec.gov

Also see the TV ad by the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund that's been running on local TV recently about the dismal environmental records of Pearce and Wilson.

Technorati Tags:Heather Wilson, Steve Pearce, New Mexico, NM-Sen, Republicans, Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, MTBE, Two Bad for New Mexico