Clean air investments mean a more resilient future for New Mexico

“Capturing methane provides an opportunity for a triple win: the environment benefits, the industry benefits and the state benefits.”

Though New Mexico House Speaker Brain Egolf spoke these words in 2017 during Chapter 1 of the “Unearthed” series from Climate Advocates Voces Unidas, their meaning is all the more acute in the time of pandemic.

Each year, oil and gas companies waste an estimated $275 million worth of natural gas through venting, flaring and leaks, which costs the state over $40 million in royalty and tax revenue that could fund public education and other critical services — support that is essential right now.

Even amid a global downturn in oil and gas prices, drilling in New Mexico will continue. New wells release the most methane, and as we drill more to keep production up, more and more methane will be released into the atmosphere along with volatile organic compounds that harm environmental and public health.

The COVID-19 public health crisis only underscores the need for strong rules for New Mexico that reduce oil and gas pollution from methane waste. During a public meeting in the spring, the state’s Environment Department and Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department shared an update on their joint progress on safeguards to reduce methane pollution and waste, and their work toward meeting Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s goal of enacting nationally leading methane rules this year. Now the agencies move into drafting the rule itself.

This is a striking moment in this work. This moment is because thousands of New Mexicans have been involved, made their voices heard, shared their stories and helped push this process forward. And now, a methane rule that protects health and the environment is becoming a reality for New Mexico. We applaud Lujan Grisham and Cabinet secretaries Jim Kenney and Sarah Cottrell Propst for continuing to prioritize the methane rule process in 2020 in the face of a public health crisis.

When I first learned about methane in 2015, I was surprised by its power to trap greenhouse gases in our atmosphere and the amount of pollution released alongside it. In the short term, methane is 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Along with our ranking as a top oil producer, more methane is wasted on New Mexico’s public lands than in any other state. There’s a methane cloud hanging over the Four Corners that is visible from space — a fact I just cannot get over.

It is clear New Mexico’s leadership understands we must protect our clean air, water, sweeping landscapes, cultural and sacred sites, and our health in order to be resilient in a climate-changed world. We encouraged our decision-makers, in the Legislature and the Governor’s Office, to keep their focus on this priority as they entered a special session in mid-June to address the budget shortfall created by suppressed oil and gas prices due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The departments in charge of the critical work of protecting public health and our environment need all the resources they can get — including recovering from eight years of cuts under former Gov. Susana Martinez’s administration. We commend the legislators and governor for keeping cuts to their budgets as minimal as possible. Investments in these agencies now are investments in future generations.

During the virtual public meeting, I was heartened to hear oil and gas industry representatives express support for methane rules progressing — even in the face of economic uncertainty — and the importance of operating responsibly for public health and the environment. We look forward to seeing those expressions of support continuing as the state moves into the next phase of the methane rule-making process.

Stay tuned as the departments’ draft rules will be proposed in front of the Environmental Improvement Board and the Oil Conservation Commission later this year. These processes will be public and full of ways for New Mexicans like you to stay involved in safeguarding your community. Your voices and involvement got us here and will get us over the finish line — stay connected at MethaneMattersNM.org.