New Mexico
Gov. Lujan Grisham Leads New Mexico to Establish Nation-Leading Rules to Slash Oil and Gas Pollution
Assertion from Jon Goldstein, Senior Director, Regulatory & Legislative Affairs, EDF
April 14, 2022
Matt McGee, (512) 691-3478, mmcgee@edf.org
(SANTA FE, N.M.) This week New Mexico’s Environmental Enchancment Board (EIB) preliminarily authorized a nationally main set of necessities that may curb oil and fuel air and methane air pollution.
Oil and fuel operators in New Mexico emit over 1.1 million metric tons of methane yearly alongside a further 300,000 metric tons of smog-forming VOCs. Decreasing this air pollution is critical to guard public well being throughout the state and in key oil and fuel producing counties with unhealthy air high quality, together with Eddy, Lea, and San Juan counties – all of which obtained failing grades for ozone air pollution from the American Lung Affiliation.
The foundations will likely be applied by the New Mexico Setting Division (NMED). Alongside requirements finalized by the Oil Conservation Fee final yr to finish routine venting and flaring, these guidelines can even assist cease unchecked waste of power assets and enhance power safety in gentle of the worldwide power disaster. New Mexico operators waste an estimated $275 million value of pure fuel yearly by methane venting, flaring and leaks, which interprets to roughly $45 million in foregone state income that might go to priorities like schooling.
The foundations embrace key provisions given unanimous EIB approval similar to complete and frequent leak inspections in any respect wells and compressor stations in addition to guaranteeing wells close to properties and faculties obtain probably the most frequent inspections. These enhancements have the help of a broad and numerous group of stakeholders together with environmental, group and public well being teams, NMED, the Nationwide Park Service and Oxy, the state’s second largest oil producer.
“The requirements finalized at present characterize historic progress for the well being and security of communities throughout New Mexico. Gov. Lujan Grisham’s administration is displaying the ambition wanted to cease unchecked oil and fuel air pollution, enhance power safety, shield public well being and deal with the local weather disaster. NMED’s guidelines, which tackle outsized emissions from smaller, leak-prone wells and shield these residing closest to improvement with extra frequent inspections to seek out and repair leaks, provide a robust instance for the EPA to construct on because it advances nationwide methane protections.”
- Jon Goldstein, Senior Director, Regulatory & Legislative Affairs, Environmental Protection Fund
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One of many world’s main worldwide nonprofit organizations, Environmental Protection Fund (edf.org) creates transformational options to probably the most severe environmental issues. To take action, EDF hyperlinks science, economics, regulation, and revolutionary private-sector partnerships. With greater than 2.5 million members and places of work in america, China, Mexico, Indonesia and the European Union, EDF’s scientists, economists, attorneys and coverage consultants are working in 28 nations to show our options into motion. Join with us on Twitter @EnvDefenseFund
New Mexico
Albuquerque bakery struggles to keep up with biscochito demand during holiday season
For Celina’s Biscochitos that means making double if not three times more biscochitos to make sure locals and people nationwide have a sweet taste of New Mexico tradition.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – If you’re from New Mexico, there’s a popular sweet treat that will be on the dessert table this holiday season, biscochitos.
While you can buy them year-round, the holidays are especially busy for bakeries who specialize in making them.
For Celina’s Biscochitos that means making double if not three times more biscochitos to make sure locals and people nationwide have a sweet taste of New Mexico tradition.
“We probably do on average about anywhere from about, this year, probably about maybe 400 to 600 dozen a day,” said Celina Grife, co-owner of Celina’s Biscochitos.
It’s no easy job making biscochitos.
For the past 14 years, Celina’s Biscochitos has been making her grandma’s recipe. This year, just like the rest, there is a high demand for our state’s official cookie, especially during the holidays.
“We’re just trying to keep up with the demand. So everyday by the end of the day, we’re just trying to scramble to make sure that we have enough cookies on the shelf for our customers, so that way they can pick them up at the end of the day,” said Grife.
They’re making anywhere from 4,000 to over 7,000 cookies a day. That’s two to three times more than what they usually make outside of the holiday season.
Over the years, Grife has added more than just their traditional cookie.
“Our very first flavor was the red chile biscochito. And then one thing lead to another, we just started playing with it,” Grife said.
Now they offer red and green chile, lemon, blue corn pinion and chocolate chip. This isn’t just the unique, different flavors they offer, it’s the tradition they carry on.
“We are one of the few commercial companies that are still making them the traditional way. So we still use lard, and by lard, I mean the old-fashioned blue and white container that everybody uses at home,” said Grife. “We still use brandy in our product as well. We still use the old fashion anise.”
One thing Grife has learned over the years is that for some people, a biscochito is much more than just a cookie.
“This is very personal to people, and I had no idea how personal it was to people. I could be working at an event, and I’ll have people say, ‘No, I can’t have yours because my mom or my aunt or my uncle.’ Whatever! Somebody makes them in the family,” said Grife. “Or we get somebody who doesn’t have that family member with them anymore, and they try ours, and they’re kind of like, ‘This brings back so many memories.’”
Grife says their goal is to keep that traditional biscochito flavor and texture, in every cookie they make.
New Mexico
New Mexico ski season in full swing despite warm December
The sun is out and so are the skiers and snowboarders at Sandia Peak Ski Area. Man-made snow here and at other ski areas around the state is helping keep more runs open during this warmer than usual December.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The sun is out and so are the skiers and snowboarders at Sandia Peak Ski Area. Man-made snow here and at other ski areas around the state is helping keep more runs open during this warmer than usual December.
“It’s very fun. I like the weather. It’s very sunny today,” said Carlos Morales, a skier.
Morales and his family were out getting some practice runs in on the slopes Tuesday afternoon. He and several others were enjoying the snow and the sun.
“Pretty good. It was a little hot, for sure. I kind of like it because I’m not freezing. I was able to wear my sunglasses and not the goggles, just because it wasn’t too crazy cold today. But it was nice. It was perfect weather,” said Hector Salazar, a snowboarder.
Salazar says now that Sandia Peak Ski Area is open seven days a week, it’s the perfect time to practice your skills since these slopes are not too crowded.
Ski New Mexico Executive Director Christy Germscheid says things are expected to pick up over the holidays.
“I think we probably have had slightly slower numbers on weekends and things since Thanksgiving when a lot of the resorts opened now. But Christmas is always rocking up here. We have very loyal Christmas guests,” said Germscheid.
She says it’s too soon to tell how the season is doing compared to years past. But the early snow pack from November helped lay the groundwork for snow machines.
“Expanding terrain, opening new terrain, has taken longer, been a little more limited based on the snowfall or lack of natural snow. So we’re hoping that Mother Nature kicks in here real soon,” Germscheid said.
Germscheid says every ski area in the state has snow machines. Crews at Sandia Peak Ski Area say they’ve been able to make enough snow to get almost all the runs open.
Snowboarders and skiers don’t seem to mind where the snow comes from.
“It feels good. The man-made snow, you could definitely feel that it’s a little bit harsher, it’s a little bit firmer. So if you were to take a fall, maybe hurt a little bit more, but it felt pretty good the whole time,” said Salazar.
Everyone is hoping for Mother Nature to give more snow but if not crews are just waiting for the perfect conditions to make more.
New Mexico
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