On October 23, advocacy groups and community members delivered 890 signatures and comments to the New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission (OCC) in support of proposed rule changes to modernize outdated oil and gas bonding and cleanup requirements ...
In just a few short months, the federal government has swung an axe at the foundation of US clean air protections – and the splinters are already hitting our lungs. Six months ago, on March 12, the Environmental Protection Agency under Administrator Lee Zeldin launched what it proudly called the “biggest deregulatory action in US history.” Thirty-one safeguards were targeted, including oil and gas methane rules, all in the name of “unleashing American energy.” Translation: Polluters profit, people choke ...
New Mexico is rich in oil and gas. With that wealth comes a mess – literally. The state is home to more than 60,000 wells that will eventually need to be plugged to prevent methane leaks, groundwater contamination and long-term environmental degradation that place New Mexicans’ climate and health at risk ...
For Immediate Release
July 30, 2025
Contact: Antoinette Reyes, Antoinette.Reyes@sierraclub.org
The EPA Delays Implementation of Critical Methane Pollution Controls, Jeopardizing the Health and Air Quality of Thousands of New Mexicans
Las Cruces, N.M. – Yesterday, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin issued an interim final rule delaying implementation of Biden-era changes to Section 111b of the Clean Air Act, which updated greenhouse gases (GHG), volatile organic compounds (VOC), and methane pollution standards for new and existing oil and gas facilities. Methane is a climate super pollutant that is vented and flared from oil and gas wells impacting public health. Both large and independent producers have gone on record in support of federal methane regulation and major oil and gas producing states including Colorado, Wyoming, ...
In a direct assault on the movement to mitigate the climate crisis, the Trump administration will formally propose a plan to rescind the EPA’s longstanding greenhouse gas endangerment finding ...
A powerful coalition of over 80 organizations—from Indigenous and frontline community groups to national environmental organizations, faith leaders, farmers, health professionals, scientists, and small business owners—joined thousands of individuals today in delivering a clear message to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM): stop auctioning off public lands to oil and gas corporations ...
The House Energy and Commerce Committee released its portion of the federal budget reconciliation bill that will harm Americans in a variety of ways from gutting Medicaid to slashing programs that protect clean air and water. This legislation includes a repeal of the Methane Emissions Reduction Program’s (MERP) funding and delays the implementation of its Waste Emissions Charge for 10 years ...
Many of us are unsure how to communicate with climate deniers these days. There’s still one arena where we can communicate in a friendly way – on a hike or outing. We don’t lecture on the trail, but some participants bring things up and it’s appropriate to briefly address them ...
