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Environment Day tomorrow: Resident speaks about fracking wastewater leak

Lobby trainings, speakers, hundreds of New Mexico grassroots activists highlight day of environmental advocacy at Roundhouse

For immediate release: Jan. 27, 2020

Contact: Camilla Feibelman, Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter director, 505-715-8388

Lobby trainings, speakers, hundreds of New Mexico grassroots activists highlight day of environmental advocacy at Roundhouse

Penny Aucoin, who with her husband Dee and their animals was showered by fracking wastewater last week at their home outside Carlsbad after a WPX pipe burst, will speak at a noon rally at the New Mexico Capitol as part of Tuesday’s Environment Day at the Legislature

Every year, dozens of environment and community groups rally at the Capitol and train hundreds of New Mexicans to lobby their legislators. Elected officials including Sen. Liz Stefanics, Rep. Patricia Roybal-Caballero and House Speaker Brian Egolf will also talk to activists about key legislation being considered this session, including: 

— Community solar

— tax credits for rooftop solar and electric vehicles 

— and energy-efficiency funding for low-income residents.

Chaco advocates will discuss continued impacts on the region’s cultural heritage and communities. Beata Tsosie with Tewa Women United will perform spoken word. Theresa Pasqual, former director of Acoma Pueblo’s Historic Preservation Office, will also speak. 

Kids from the Global Warming Express and RiverSource youth groups are among other featured speakers. 

What: Environment Day at the New Mexico Legislature

Visuals: Live wildlife (10:45 a.m. to noon) and large-scale children’s art on the climate crisis. 

When: 9:15 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday

9:15a.m.: Tables from 40-plus environmental groups will share information. Lobbying 

training for interested New Mexicans will take place throughout the day. Activists will 

also attend House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee and Senate 

Conservation Committee hearings. 

Noon: Rally in the Rotunda, featuring Penny Aucoin, representatives and senators sponsoring critical climate legislation, and youth activists

1:15 p.m.: Final lobby training and teams will head out to speak to their legislators at around 2 p.m.

Where: New Mexico Capitol, Santa Fe

Who: All New Mexicans who want to make a difference on climate and other environmental issues or who want to learn how to lobby their legislators. The event is free and open to the public. For more info, contact camilla.feibelman@sierraclub.org or miya.king-flaherty@sierraclub.org. 

Environment Day tomorrow: Resident speaks about fracking wastewater leak