2008 Legislative Priorities - Environment New Mexico

About Environment New Mexico

Environment New Mexico, the new organizational home of the New Mexico Public Interest Research Group’s (NMPIRG) environmental work, is a state-wide advocate for the environment. Representing more than 6,000 members state-wide, we focus on protecting New Mexico’s air, water and open spaces, speaking out and taking effective action at the local, state and national levels to improve the quality of our natural environment and our lives.

Curbing Global Warming

Global warming is a profound problem threatening New Mexico's environment, economy and way of life. But there are steps that we can take to combat global warming, while curbing air pollution, cutting our dependence on dirty fossil fuels and providing exciting economic opportunities to the state. Environment New Mexico supports:

- Adopting the Utility Customer Demand Management bill, which will require utilities to achieve a 10% energy savings by 2020, savings consumers money on their utility bills, creating new jobs and reducing global warming emissions. (HB 305, Speaker Lujan)

- Passing the Smart Investments in Public Buildings bill, which will ensure a 50% energy saving throughout the life of new and retrofitted public buildings through a 1-2% initial investment in the sustainable design of each building. (SB 403, Sen. Campos)

- Solutions to subsidized sprawl and loss of local taxes associated with tax increment development districts. (HB 451, Rep. Barela/SB 434, Sen. McSorley)

- Promoting public transportation by setting up a regional transit district in Santa Fe, Sandoval, Bernalillo and Valencia counties to manage, bond and fund the Rail Runner. (HB 400, Rep. Silva)

- Providing an appropriation of $10 million for the Clean Energy Grants and Energy Innovation Fund.

- Providing funding to the Northern New Mexico State School to establish a Solar Energy Research Park. (HB 146, Speaker Lujan)

- Creating income tax credits ranging from $25 to $300 for energy efficient appliances and equipment, like energy efficient furnaces, hot water heaters, air conditioners and evaporative cooling systems. (SB 35, Sen. Feldman/HB 216, Rep. Gonzales)

- Creating the Alternative Energy for Schools Grant Act for New Mexico's public schools and post-secondary institutions, rewarding school projects that teach students about alternative energy. (HB 119, Rep. T. Garcia)

- Appropriations, loan programs and enabling language for low-income home energy assistance to provide home heating and weatherization for low-income households. (SB 189, Sen. Lopez/ SB 210, Sen. Martinez/ SB 211, Sen. Martinez/ HB 246, Rep. Wirth)

- Funding for a green building certification training and education program for builders, arcitects, building inspectors and others. (SB 36, Sen. Feldman)

- Expanding eligibility for the solar market development tax credit, encouraging more solar energy development. (SB 100, Sen. Feldman)

Preserving New Mexico's Natural Environment and Limited Water Supply

New Mexico's natural environment is integral to our culture and economy. We must preserve New Mexico's open spaces, forests, deserts, rivers, rural working landscapes and critical habitat. Environment New Mexico supports:

- A special appropriation of $10 million for the River Ecosystem Restoration Initiative, which funds projects state-wide to restore ecosystem function and health on rivers threatened by sprawling development, invasive species and grazing.

- Capital outlay funding for the Rio Grande Trail, bringing new recreational and tourist opportunities to New Mexico's communities while reconnecting people with the river.

- Passing Leave No Child Inside, a bill that would place a 1% tax on video games and televisions to pay for children's outdoor education programs.

- $5 million for Land and Wildlife conservation projects.

- A taskforce to develop guidelines for environmentally-friendly electronics procurement and recycling by state agencies. (SJM 11, Sen. Feldman)

- Ensuring that oil and gas development is consistent with the protection of public health and wildlife conservation. (HB 248, Rep. Wirth)

- A $345,000 appropriation to the Interstate Stream Commission to support the regional water planning program. (HB 85, Rep. Nunez)

- A $450,000 appropriation to the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology to conduct statewide aquifer mapping and characterization. (HB 2, Sen. Cisneros)

- Prohibiting the issuance of uranium mining permits within 1000 feet of existing residences and requiring public notice and hearings prior to the issuance of all mining operations. (SB 17, Sen. Lovejoy)

- Helping to protect New Mexico's water resources by providing the Office of the State Engineer with authority over deep aquifers. (SB 262, Sen. Cisneros)

- Allowing the Interstate Stream Commission authority to acquire water rights without purchasing land to meet Pecos River Compact obligations. (SB 227, Sen. Griego)

- A memorial resolving that applications to export water from the Estancia basin should be supported by proof that the importing basin needs the water and that there is no alternative in-basin sources of water available in the importing region. (SJM 17, Sen. Beffort)

No Rollbacks

Protecting New Mexico's environment also means ensuring that past gains are not eroded and rolled back. Environment New Mexico opposes:

- Rollbacks, including defunding or tying New Mexico Environment Department funding to a rollback of the Clean Cars Program. The program, adopted by the Environmental Improvement Board and the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board in November, which will decrease global warming pollution by 30% from new vehicles and reduce health hazardous smog-forming and toxic air pollution.

- Tax subsidies or other incentivies for the proposed Desert Rock coal-fired power plant near Farmington, New Mexico. If built, Desert Rock would emit more than 12 million tons of carbon dioxide, mercury and other pollutants into our air each year.

- Funding or policies that would promote development of the Gila River, New Mexico's last free-flowing river.

- Resolutions that would violate the separation of powers and threaten key environmental protections by amending the New Mexico State Constitution to allow the legislature to enact laws that prohibit regulatory rules from taking effect until reviewed and approved by the legislature and that would allow the legislature to annul rules that they feel were not authorized under statute. (SJR 5, Sen. Ingle/ SJR 7, Sen. Ingle)

- Creating a regulatory task force biased toward industry that would review the State's regulatory authorities, possibly leading to deregulation and a weakening of New Mexico's environmental agencies and programs. (SB 57, Sen. B. Sanchez, Rep. Berry)

- Creating an Oil Conservation Division Oversight Committee that would weaken the ability of the Oil Conservation Division to set strong standards for protecting soil, water and public health from oil and gas waste pits. (HB 125, Rep. Foley/ SB 394, Sen. Ingle)

- Hindering the enforcement abilities of environmental agencies by prohibiting agencies from submitting a budget increase if the source of funds for the increase would be penalties collecting during the same fiscal year. (HB 267, Rep. Gardner)

- Subsidizing sprawl by providing a $629 million tax increment bond for SunCal's sprawling development on Albuquerque's west mesa. (HB 276, Rep. Silva)

- Requiring skewed regulatory impact statements biased against protecting public health, safety and welfare. (HB 310, Rep. Berry)

- A memorial urging the U.S. Department of Energy to determine that more dangerous radioactive waste can be stored at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). (HJM 8, Rep. Heaton)

- Considering eliminating the coal surtax and providing a $6.9 million subsidy to the extraction industry. (HJM 7, Rep. Begaye)