SANTA FE, NM — In a bid to protect New Mexico's water, air, 
and climate, a coalition of environmental groups filed suit 
yesterday challenging the Obama administration's plan to allow 
fracking in the Santa Fe National Forest.
   
The Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service auctioned 
more than 20,000 acres of oil and gas leases on the Santa Fe 
National Forest http://www.westernlaw.org/sites/default/files/Map_
FS%20parcels.pdf> in 2015 despite more than a hundred protest
http://www.westernlaw.org/sites/default/files/Protest_Farmington%20Lease%20Sale.pdf>
letters from citizens and organizations. The lease sale perpetuates 
a dangerous pattern of federal agencies erroneously relying on the 
grossly outdated 2003 Farmington resource management plan (RMP) to 
facilitate a rush to frack New Mexico's Mancos Shale in advance of 
a true analysis of the impacts of modern fracking technologies.
  
The 2003 RMP specifically excludes analysis of horizontal drilling 
and multi-stage fracking, as these technologies were unfeasible 
and uneconomic 13 years ago, and as such, does not reflect the 
realities of today's practices. BLM is currently writing an amendment 
to the RMP to reflect these new technologies—admitting that
the 2003 RMP is obsolete. Yet, this hasn't stopped the agency from 
using the outdated plan to authorize oil and gas activity on public 
lands in the Santa Fe National Forest and the Greater Chaco region.
 
"We're seeing the same intellectually dishonest techniques here 
from the administration as those used to green-light unstudied 
fracking in the Greater Chaco region," said Kyle Tisdel of the 
Western Environmental Law Center. "This is a clear attempt to 
circumvent meaningful environmental review for fossil fuel
extraction on our public lands in northern New Mexico, 
consequences be damned. Our conscience demands we step in to 
stop this."
 
“With the Santa Fe National Forest being targeted for fracking, 
it’s clear the oil and gas industry believes there is no place 
sacred in the American Southwest,” said Samantha Ruscavage-Barz, 
staff attorney for WildEarth Guardians. “With our climate and 
our future at stake, we’re taking a stand with this lawsuit and we
sincerely hope the Obama administration reconsiders its decision 
to sacrifice our public lands.”
 
Horizontal wells have double the surface impact (5.2 acres) of 
vertical wells (2 acres) and emit over 250 percent more air pollution, 
including toxic volatile organic compounds and greenhouse gases.  
Horizontal wells also require 5-10 times more water – a significant 
concern in the arid Southwest.

Horizontal drilling and multi-stage fracking uses hundreds of 
thousands of gallons of highly pressurized water and toxic 
chemicals to shatter underground geology. This toxic cocktail 
includes known carcinogens and chemicals harmful to human
health. If a wellbore is not properly sealed and cased, or 
its integrity is otherwise compromised, these chemicals can 
escape as they move through the wellbore, risking groundwater 
contamination.
  
“Leasing in the Santa Fe National Forest by the BLM continues 
a reckless practice of leaping before looking, putting communities 
in the Cuba, New Mexico area at risk from oil and gas industrialization 
and significant adverse impacts,” said Mike Eisenfeld, Energy and 
Climate Program manager of San Juan Citizens Alliance.
 
“As oil and gas activity creeps toward Santa Fe and Albuquerque, 
it is critical that the federal government be held accountable 
at the lease stage for protection of our land, water, air, 
culture and communities.”
  
"The Santa Fe National Forest manages one of the largest collections 
of heritage sites in the United States," said Teresa Seaster of the 
Sierra Club. "This is a legacy that is central to the history and 
traditional practices to native people living here. The footprint 
of development is already altering that landscape in advance of 
BLM's resource management plan revision."
  
"Unwise oil and gas development in our headwaters can destroy key water resources
- such as high priority wetlands - and puts the future water supply for downstream
New Mexico communities and ecosystems at risk," said Rachel Conn, projects
director for Amigos Bravos. "Instead of being ripped up for short term profits,
the headwaters found in the Santa Fe National Forest should be maintained so they
continue to provide water for wildlife, agriculture, and families."
  
The groups filing suit today include the San Juan Citizens Alliance, Diné Citizens
Against Ruining Our Environment, Amigos Bravos, WildEarth Guardians, and the
Sierra Club. The challenged leases would expand oil and gas drilling and fracking
into previously undeveloped areas of the Santa Fe National Forest on the remote
and steep west side of the Jemez Mountains north of Cuba and near the San Pedro
Parks Wilderness.