New Mexico
Legislation would add New Mexico to a growing list of states restricting PFAS – New Mexico Political Report
By Hannah Grover
New Mexico could follow the lead of approximately a dozen other states and restrict the sale or manufacturing of various household products including carpets, feminine hygiene products, cookware and cosmetics made with PFAS chemicals.
“Intentionally added PFAS in consumer goods are showing up at our breakfast tables, our kitchen tables, in our breakfast burritos, in our pepitas,” New Mexico Environment Department Secretary James Kenney said.
He said until New Mexico “takes a stance with the 13 other states” that have already passed laws restricting PFAS in consumer goods, the federal government “is off the hook.”
“We think the federal government would be best at regulating PFAS in consumer products,” Kenney said. “But until that time, we want to join the other states to protect our consumers, protect our families, to protect our water, to protect our land, and this is the way we’re going about doing it.”
Three Democratic House members — Joanne Ferrary of Las Cruces, Debra Sariñana of Albuquerque and Kathleen Cates of Rio Rancho — introduced HB 212 this week.
The bill is similar to Amara’s Law in Minnesota, as well as legislation passed in other states to restrict PFAS.
Amara’s Law was named for a young woman who developed a rare type of liver cancer after living near a 3M facility, which manufactured products containing PFAS. Amara Strand spent the last months of her life pushing for the legislation, which went into effect on Jan. 1 of this year.
PFAS — also known as forever chemicals — have been linked to various health impacts including cancer, pre-term births, increased risks of infection and some types of liver disease.
One way that New Mexico’s legislation differs from those in other states is that it allows manufacturers to set up producer responsibility organizations. These organizations would be tasked with ensuring products containing PFAS are properly disposed of. Kenney said producers will have the choice of either removing PFAS from their household products altogether or forming a producer responsibility organization to take responsibility for disposal of those household products.
HB 212 refers to these organizations as stewardship programs and states the Environmental Improvement Board can “create, enforce or terminate a [PFAS] stewardship program.”
While New Mexico doesn’t have someone like Strand to name its bill after, there are still plenty of stories around the state about how PFAS has impacted communities.
Many of those stories are from communities neighboring military bases. Officials are also addressing high levels of PFAS in drinking water wells near Santa Fe, though the source of that contamination has not yet been confirmed.
Kenney said PFAS chemicals have also been found at Ski Apache in Ruidoso due to the use of such substances in certain types of ski wax.
He said some communities are also experiencing high PFAS levels due to septic tanks.
“The more we look, the more we find, and our ability to look is limited by our own budget,” Kenney said.
The environment department has conducted blood testing in the Clovis area and has urged hunters who have consumed waterfowl from Holloman Lake to get their blood tested. The PFAS contamination in those areas is due to firefighting exercises at nearby military bases. The firefighting foam used in training contained PFAS.
Kenney said HB 212 will not restrict PFAS in firefighting foams because the bill is intended to target household products and, generally, New Mexicans will not be bringing firefighting foams into their houses.
The restrictions in HB 212 would be implemented in two phases. The first phase, which would go into effect in 2027, prohibits the sale of products such as cookware, food packaging, dental floss and juvenile products containing PFAS.
Kenney explained that those products have the potential of PFAS being ingested by consumers, which has higher risks associated with it than skin contact.
In 2028, the bill would prevent the sale of products such as carpets, rugs, cleaning products, cosmetics, fabric treatments, feminine hygiene products, textiles, textile furnishings, ski wax and upholstered furniture.
Kenney said right now consumers can walk into stores and purchase products that say they are non-toxic but actually contain PFAS.
“People who are not familiar with this topic are being told that the things they’re bringing into their home are safe,” he said.
Related
Fog could cut visibility for the Thursday morning commute in eastern New Mexico before storms return and a severe weather risk builds Friday.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Fog could cut visibility for the Thursday morning commute in eastern New Mexico before storms return and a severe weather risk builds Friday.
Eastern New Mexico still has a very moist lower atmosphere for late May, with dewpoints in the 50s across the eastern plains, 40s through the Rio Grande Valley and 30s west toward Arizona.
That moisture will help low clouds and patchy fog reform late Wednesday night into early Thursday. The best chances for fog favor Clovis, Portales, Roswell, Tucumcari, Fort Sumner and Santa Rosa.
Some places could see reduced visibility Thursday morning, especially along Interstate 40, Highway 70 and Highway 285.
Low clouds and fog should gradually burn off by mid to late Thursday morning. After that, isolated to scattered afternoon thunderstorms are expected mainly along the east slopes of the central mountain chain.
Chief Meteorologist Eddie Garcia shares all the details in his full forecast in the video above.
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With less than a week before the 2026 Primary Election nearly 95,000 New Mexicans have voted early.
Expanded early voting began May 16 and will end on May 30. The Primary Election is June 2.
According to data released on May 26 by the Secretary of State’s Office, there have been 94,930 ballots cast since early voting began on May 4.
In Doña Ana County, there have been 6,294 voters in Doña Ana County who voted early. There have been 4,706 Democrats who have voted early with 1,567 Republicans and 646 who declined to state a party affiliation. There have been 2,023 residents who have voted absentee.
New Mexico has semi-open primary elections, which means voters who are not registered with a qualified political party may also participate in the election by selecting which major party’s ballot they want to vote on without changing their voter registration.
According to the Secretary of State’s office, there have been 9,000 voters in New Mexico who were not registered with qualified political parties, who have voted in the Primary Election ― 6,962 who voted in the Democrat Primary and 2,038 who have voted in the Republican Primary.
In Doña Ana County, 516 voters who were not registered with qualified political parties have voted in the Democrat Primary and 134 who voted in the Republican Primary.
Approximately 90,000 New Mexicans utilized early voting ahead of the 2024 Primary Election and 5,848 people voted early in Doña Ana County (4,195 Democrats, 18 Libertarian, 1,635 Republicans).
The total 2022 Primary Election turnout for the county was 16.41% or 15,499 ballots cast and the 2020 Primary Election turnout was 29.29% or 26,055 ballots cast.
Where to vote in Doña Ana County
Early voting at the Doña Ana County Government Center began on May 5 from 8 a.m. through 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, until May 29, and on Saturday, May 30 from 10 a.m. through 6 p.m.
Alternate site early voting locations will begin on May 16 at 11 a.m., and run through May 30 from Tuesday through Saturday.
The alternate site locations in Doña Ana County are:
- Anthony Library (750 Landers Anthony)
- HVPS Student Services (350 Main St. Hatch)
- Doña Ana County Community College (755 Prescott Anthony Dr. Chaparral)
- Doña Ana County Community College (2800 Sonoma Ranch Blvd. Las Cruces)
- Doña Ana County Community College (3365 McNutt Rd. Sunland Park)
- Las Cruces City Hall (700 N. Main St. Las Cruces)
- Mesilla Town Hall (2231 Avenida de Mesilla Mesilla)
- Corbett Center Student Union (1600 International Mall Las Cruces)
Doña Ana County voting locations on Election Day are open from 7 a.m. through 7 p.m. Mailed ballots must be received no later than 7 p.m.
Grant’s Tuesday Evening Forecast
The recent wet weather will be winding down across parts of New Mexico, but spotty afternoon storm chances will continue in the eastern part of the state into the end of this week.
Isolated showers and thunderstorms have developed across New Mexico Tuesday afternoon, bringing another round of rainfall to parts of the state. Storms brought another round of heavier rainfall to the Albuquerque Metro this afternoon. Storms will continue pushing east through this evening before ending late tonight.
Drier air moves into western New Mexico Wednesday, kicking off a warming trend statewide. Higher moisture will linger along and east of the central mountain chain, where isolated to scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms will still be possible. The best chances for storms will stretch from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains into northeast New Mexico. A similar pattern sets up again Thursday as temperatures continue climbing statewide.
Southwest flow will pull additional moisture back into New Mexico Friday. For now, the best chances for rain still look to stay across northern New Mexico and along and east of the central mountain chain. The added moisture will also bring more cloud cover statewide.
This weekend is trending hotter and drier statewide. Storm chances will begin increasing again early next week as a dry line develops in eastern New Mexico.
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