Balance industry and environment

SOUND GOVERNMENT REGULATION requires a responsible balance between industry and environment. As the 24th governor of New Mexico, I never ascribed to the notion that the promotion of both was mutually exclusive and I maintain that assertion today. At the end of the day, industry and conservationists are equal partners in preserving and protecting our natural resources.

Currently, potash mining operator Mosaic Inc. has applied for a discharge permit with the Ground Water Quality Bureau of the N.M. Environment Department. The permit would allow the release of 7.5 million gallons of brine-water per day into a new brine-water management area in Eddy County, specifically Carlsbad’s water table.

Sinkholes and mining operations sometimes go hand in hand, and Mosaic Inc. has not been immune to sinkholes and other environmental hazards. In fact, due to being found guilty of violating state and federal laws in Florida and Louisiana, Mosaic Inc., under a consent decree, has committed $650 million to pay for remediation and closure costs at certain facilities.

Closer to home in Carlsbad, taxpayers have been saddled with an estimated $25 million to clean up an existing sinkhole caused by brine-well activity by the now bankrupt I&W Mining Co. Eddy County officials, as well as state legislators, should act responsibly for both industry and environment, and demand the NMED — via its Ground Water Quality Bureau — be deliberate with the Mosaic Inc. application, invite and digest public comment, and strike a balance between the interests of both the environment and the potash industry.

New Mexico’s drinking, recreational and agricultural water deserve attention. The potash industry can and should survive, but not at the peril of New Mexico’s premier natural resource. FORMER GOV. JERRY APODACA Santa Fe