New Mexico
Arsenic contamination persists in a New Mexico town's water supply
After years of arsenic contamination, New Mexico intervenes in Sunland Park’s water crisis.
Silvia Foster-Frau reports for The Washington Post.
In short:
- Sunland Park, a majority Latino community, has faced dangerously high arsenic levels in its drinking water for over 16 years, with minimal effective intervention.
- Local residents, including those suffering health effects, have repeatedly voiced their concerns at public meetings, questioning the utility’s commitment to resolving the issue.
- The state has recently stepped up enforcement, issuing significant fines and demanding stringent compliance from the local water utility.
Key quote:
“People are dying from this. We’re paying for something that’s poisoning us.”
— Elvia Acevedo, local resident
Why this matters:
Access to safe drinking water remains a challenge in various parts of the United States, particularly affecting low-income and minority communities. Long-term exposure to arsenic can lead to severe health effects, including cancer, skin lesions, developmental effects, cardiovascular diseases, neurotoxicity, and diabetes.
The risks are pronounced in regions where groundwater is the primary source of drinking water and arsenic concentrations are high, and Southwest U.S. communities and Hispanics are most likely to have arsenic-laden water.
CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – New Mexico’s caves attract hundreds of explorers each year, but those adventures can lead to dangerous situations requiring emergency rescues, and local first responders are learning how to do them. The National Cave Rescue Commission held a two-day rescue course in the Malpais National Monument this past weekend. The instructor told KRQE News 13 that participants learned how to provide first aid in one of the most difficult environments.
“Cave rescues are particularly difficult because of the limited resources available in those environments. Caves themselves are often very large underground spaces with extended travel times, so you may not be able to get resources that you request for many hours,” said Sarah Truebe, Regional Coordinator for the National Cave Rescue Commission.
Albuquerque Fire and Rescue was one of the agencies participating in the two-day weekend training, alongside other emergency responders, volunteer search and rescue personnel, and members of New Mexico’s caving community. The training included first aid, communication skills, proper transportation of injured patients, and technical rescue. Instructor Sarah Truebe says aside from first aid, participants also learn to be mindful of the environment and how fragile the ecosystem is.
“It is very easy to get really mission-focused and to just go straight to that patient and not think a lot about the environment around you, but because these resources are so fragile and rare, we really want to take care of that resources as well, while we’re doing the rescue response,” said Truebe.
In all, 14 instructors hosted a group of 31 participants. Truebe said that between Arizona and New Mexico, there are usually one to two cave rescues a year, but said that last year they conducted six rescues. Truebe said their next training course will be held in October in central New Mexico. She said the date will be posted online once that training is scheduled.
VALENCIA COUNTY, N.M. — Multiple earthquakes sent tremors through communities just south of Albuquerque, the U.S. Geological Survey reported Sunday morning.
The USGS reported a 3.9-magnitude earthquake happened at 11:41 a.m., just three minutes after a 3.7-magnitude earthquake. They were both in the Jarales and Rio Communities area.
Two other earthquakes were reported on the other side of the Rio Grande: A 3.2-magnitude earthquake Saturday at 8:30 p.m. and a 2.6-magnitude earthquake Saturday at 11:51 p.m., near Abeytas.
There have been reports of no damage or injuries, according to the Valencia County Fire Department. The Department received reports of an earthquake in the Jarales and Rio Communities area.
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