Statement by Environment New Mexico Advocate Lauren Ketcham
Environment New Mexico
and our allies in the legislature worked during the 30 day legislative session
to pass bills to protect our air, water and land and to block bills that would
have rolled back important environmental protections. Some of the highlights
include:
- Passage of the Utility Customer Load Management bill, which will require
utilities to achieve a 10 percent energy savings by 2020, saving consumers
money on their utility bills, creating new jobs and reducing global warming
emissions. (HB 305, Speaker Lujan)
- Although still awaiting the Governor’s action, pro-environment projects
received nearly $25 million in funding, including $123,500 for the Rio Grande
Trail, $2.8 million to restore river ecosystems state-wide, $3.5 million for
clean energy grants and $1.5 million for land and wildlife projects.
- Creation of a taskforce to develop guidelines for environmentally-friendly
electronics procurement and recycling. (SJM 11, Sen. Feldman)
- Blocking more than a dozen regulatory rollbacks which would have threatened
rules and regulations intended to protect New Mexico’s
environment. These included three amendments to the constitution that would
have threatened key environmental protections and given the legislature
unprecedented power to enact laws that prohibit regulatory rules from taking
effect until reviewed and approved by the legislature. (SJR 5, Sen. Ingle/SJR
7, Sen. Ingle/ HJR 12, Rep. Foley) Other regulatory rollbacks that we stopped
included the creation of an 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. (HB 125, Rep. Foley/ SB 394,
Sen. Adair) These bills were supported by industry lobbyists and their friends
in the legislature in retaliation against state agencies for adopting strong
vehicle emission and oil and gas pit waste standards.
- Up against a team of
high-powered industry lobbyists, and with the help of several environmental
champions in the Senate, we blocked a $629 million tax increment bond for
SunCal’s sprawling development on Albuquerque’s west mesa, which
could hurt existing communities and divert millions of dollars of tax revenues
into the pockets of developers. (HB 276, Rep. Silva)
