January 2020 - Page 3 of 3 - Rio Grande Chapter

Hundreds attend meetings on reuse of fracked water

The Sierra Club’s position is that not enough is known about fracking wastewater to determine if it is safe for outside use, even after it is treated. Along with high levels of salt, there are many hundreds of potential other chemicals, heavy metals, and even radionuclides in produced water. Before even considering treatment standards, we need much peer-reviewed research testing how the contents of the wastewater might impact crops, soil quality, or surface and groundwater.

Legislature 2020: Much to accomplish in not much time

The 2020 Legislative session kicks off on Jan. 21, and this year Environment Day will be on Jan. 28. As you may know, 2020 will be a short 30-day session, the purpose of which is to enact the state’s budget. This year, though, because our governor has made climate a priority, the Legislature will be hearing several clean-energy-related bills in addition to the state budget.

Will San Juan continue burning coal?

Since July, New Mexico’s Public Regulation Commission has been questioning whether it should apply an energy law that would ease retirement costs for PNM’s San Juan coal plant, and now the commission’s staff is questioning whether PNM should be allowed to stop using the plant’s coal power at all.

White Sands to be NM’s second national park

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich and U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small hailed final passage of legislation to designate White Sands National Park in southern New Mexico. The provision was included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, which passed the Senate by a vote of 86 to 8 and was slated to be signed into law.

Public blasts Air Force proposal on test flights over Gila

By John E. Wilks, Life member, activist A decision by the U.S. Air Force to permanently expand the airspace for F-16 flight training in Southern New Mexico is imminent. The Pentagon will choose one of four options in the draft environmental