The State of New Mexico is starting to crack down on natural gas waste from the oil and gas industry, as it begins engaging with oil companies and local agencies on stricter regulations to prevent methane emissions.
The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) announced the beginning of stakeholder outreach efforts, planning public meetings in Carlsbad, Farmington and Albuquerque this summer.
The efforts were spurred by an executive order signed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in January – weeks after she took office – which called on the state to join the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent by 2030.
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The order also called on state agencies to develop regulations and policies to reduce emissions.
President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the agreement last year, but multiple states opted to rejoin individually.
Lujan Grisham’s executive order also created New Mexico’s Climate Change Task Force headed up by NMED Cabinet Secretary James Kenney and EMNRD Cabinet Secretary Sarah Cottrell Propst.
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When are the meetings?
- Farmington:1 to 5 p.m., July 29 at San Juan Community College
- Albuquerque: 1 to 5 p.m., July 30 at the University of New Mexico School of Law
- Carlsbad: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Aug. 7 at the Skeen Whitlock Building
Collaboration is ‘essential’
Kenney said collaboration between different stakeholders and State government is essential to achieving the demands made by the order.
“In undertaking this regulatory effort, collaboration between regulators, communities, industry and environmental groups is imperative to enacting lasting changes to methane regulations in New Mexico,” he said.
“EMNRD Secretary Cottrell Propst and I look forward to meeting with stakeholders to gain ideas, perspectives, concerns and innovative ideas throughout this regulatory effort.”
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Propst said she looked forward to creating progressive rules and regulations to fight oil and gas’ impact on climate change, while drafting guidelines using input from experts in the field.
“The Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department looks forward to kicking off our stakeholder engagement in the coming weeks as we continue our important partnership with the New Mexico Environment Department to develop rules to curb methane,” she said.
“Our departments will create cutting-edge rules and regulations pursuant to the climate executive order. Collaborating with stakeholders and gaining expert insights is a crucial step in this process.”
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The meetings were intended to give attendees an overview of NMED and EMNRD’s roles in regulating methane in the oil and gas industry, as both agencies will enact their own regulations.
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