Safeguards that protect communities from disasters like the Aliso Canyon methane leak in California were gravely lacking in the installation and maintenance of this reservoir (“California AG sues utility for massive natural gas leak,” Feb. 2).

With the largest methane “hot spot” sitting above the San Juan Basin and so much fracking going on in the state of New Mexico, it is imperative that our government agencies establish safeguards that protect us from similar pollution and harm.

Methane is the primary component of natural gas. It is a far more potent climate-warming gas than carbon dioxide and is leaked, flared and vented from oil and gas operations that harm our health every day. With the impacts of fracking to communities in the Four Corners area and Chaco Canyon, we should take the Aliso Canyon disaster as a wake-up call.

We need to demand that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency write strong and comprehensive safeguards addressing all sources of methane pollution from existing, new, and future wells.

 

Lynne Fischer

Santa Fe