New Mexico
New Mexico gets $18.9 million to clean up ‘forever chemicals’ in state’s water systems
Study finds ‘forever chemicals’ increase risk of thyroid cancer
New research shows a link between PFAS, or forever chemicals, and increased risk for thyroid cancer.
Scripps News
Toxic “forever chemicals” present in New Mexico’s water supplies could be cleaned up thanks to millions of dollars in federal funds offered to the state as it grapples with industrial contamination.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals resulting from several industrial practices like manufacturing and recently linked to oil and gas production in New Mexico. The chemicals do not break down in the environment, and are believed the cause of several health impacts including cancer from long-term exposure. Because of nationwide contamination and exposure, PFAS are found in the blood of most people, read an EPA report.
The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) petitioned the federal government in 2021 to designate PFAS as hazardous material and strengthen state oversight on their use and remediation, in response to contamination found around the state’s Air Force bases and believed leeched into groundwater from firefighting foam. To that end, the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) announced May 23 it would provide $18.9 million to New Mexico to fund efforts analyzing the extent of PFAS contamination, and other “emerging contaminants” in the state while identifying strategies to protect ground and surface water sources.
The program will focus on “disadvantaged communities,” read a news release, and was developed via the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed by President Joe Biden in November 2021.
More: ‘Forever chemicals’ found in Pecos River – What does that mean for your health?
Using the funds, NMED will conduct a series of public water sampling for PFAS throughout New Mexico over about two years, evaluating which communities are the most in need of assistance. NMED said it also planned public outreach in those communities where it finds the worst contamination to aid in clean up strategies.
The funds are available for five years, the EPA said, and will help devise a plan to identify PFAS contamination sites in public water systems, removing the substances and educating communities before implementing its plans for remediation.
“Clean, safe drinking water is something every person in New Mexico deserves,” said EPA Regional Administrator Earthea Nance, in a statement. “With this funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the New Mexico Environment Department will be able to take crucial steps to safeguard New Mexico’s drinking water from PFAS and other emerging contaminants.”
U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) who participated in a ceremony at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe celebrating the funds May 23, said cleaning up PFAS contamination in New Mexico and across the U.S. should be a priority of the federal government.
“Combating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as forever chemicals or PFAS, in our public water systems is essential to provide safe water for communities in New Mexico,” Stansbury said in a statement. “New Mexicans know water is life, and they also know the state’s Democratic leaders are dedicated to cleaning the water supply for generations to come.”
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) said the federal dollars would augment ongoing efforts at the state level to investigate PFAS contamination and hold polluters accountable.
“Contamination and pollution from forever chemicals like PFAS threaten clean drinking water supplies that New Mexico communities depend upon,” he said.
“I am proud to welcome $18.9 million that we secured through the Infrastructure Law to ramp up New Mexico’s urgent efforts to detect pollution and protect our precious water resources from PFAS and other emerging contaminants.”
More: New Mexico called on to ban ‘forever chemicals’ in oil and gas, as feds push restrictions
In the 2021 petition, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham called on the EPA to strengthen its PFAS restrictions, leading to a Feb. 1 proposal from the agency to list the contaminants federally as hazardous waste. This allowed the State and federal agencies more authority in restricting the release of PFAS into local water supplies and requiring clean up by entities responsible. These federal regulations came amid calls from environmental groups to see PFAS banned from fluids used in hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking” used by oil and gas operators to reach underground shale deposits containing fossil fuels.
The presence of PFAS in oil and gas drilling operations was suggested in a 2023 study by Physicians for Social Responsibility. The report showed since 2013 two chemicals categorized as PFAS were found in fracking operations, along with three categories of chemicals that could be PFAS but were shrouded by “trade secrets,” said the study’s lead author Dustin Horwitt, upon releasing the study on April 11, 2023.
The use of PFAS in fracking was refuted by Missi Currier, president of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association in a column published in the Carlsbad Current-Argus on May 3. She responded to an April 10 study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that found PFAS in all rivers in New Mexico, including the Pecos River in the southeast Permian Basin region.
The USGS study indicated the contamination was slightly higher in sample wells conducted in the southern portion of the Pecos, after flowing through urban areas and the Permian Basin oilfields.
Currier contended the contaminants were introduced into the Pecos River before it reached the oil and gas region.
“Concerns that the oil and gas industry introduces per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – or PFAS – into its produced water are unwarranted,” she wrote. “To be clear, the oil and gas industry is not a source of PFAS in produced water.”
Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on the social media platform X.
The Republican Party of New Mexico’s headquarters in Albuquerque was intentionally set on fire in an act of arson and vandalized with a spray-painted phrase “ICE=KKK.”
Why It Matters
During his 2024 campaign, President Donald Trump promised mass deportations of undocumented and criminal migrants, a policy that has been shown to be popular among voters across the political spectrum, before and after the election.
However, the administration has faced backlash for invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, allowing the administration to deport noncitizens without the opportunity for a hearing before an immigration or federal court judge, and for revoking visas for students.
Trump empowered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to conduct arrests in or near sensitive locations such as schools and universities to enforce these policies, such as the arrest of a graduate student from the University of Minnesota, the arrest of Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk, and the arrest of Palestinian activist and legal U.S. resident Mahmoud Khalil.
Republican Party of New Mexico
What To Know
Albuquerque Fire Rescue responded to an alarm at the New Mexico office of the Republican Party and quickly got control of the fire, according to a post on Facebook.
The Albuquerque Fire Rescue wrote in its post that it dispatched first responders at around 5:56 a.m. local time, with a fire engine on the scene immediately and taking control of the fire within five minutes. Authorities determined the structure had suffered damage to the entryway and smoke damage throughout the building, but they found no injuries to civilians or firefighters.
“AFR Fire Investigators are currently on scene along with teams from the FBI and ATF,” the post read. “This is an active and ongoing investigation. No additional information available at this time.”
But inside the building, members of the party upon returning found that someone had vandalized a wall with spray paint, writing, “ICE=KKK.”
Republican New Mexico Chairwoman Amy Barela told Newsweek that the party is working “closely with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), local law enforcement, and federal investigators” to find who is responsible and hold them “accountable.”
What People Are Saying
Republican New Mexico Chairwoman Amy Barela told Newsweek in a statement on Sunday: “We are deeply relieved that no one was harmed in what could have been a tragic and deadly attack. Those who resort to violence to undermine our state and nation must be held accountable, and our state leaders must reinforce through decisive action that these cowardly attacks will not be tolerated.”
“We are working closely with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), local law enforcement, and federal investigators. We are committed to providing every piece of evidence necessary to bring those responsible to justice and ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We will not allow New Mexico’s broken criminal justice system to dilute the seriousness of this attack.”
She continued: “The Republican Party of New Mexico will not be silenced. We will emerge from this stronger, more united, and more determined to fight for the people of New Mexico and the future of our country,” she added. “Let us not forget: it was the Democrat Party that once supported the formation of the KKK, pushed Jim Crow laws, and defended slavery. Today, we see the same dangerous tendencies play out in new forms—attempts to suppress free speech, silence dissent, and use fear to control the political narrative. Our fight is not just for our party—it’s for every New Mexican who wants a safer, freer, and more accountable state. We will never back down.”
What Happens Next?
The Republican Party of New Mexico will work with AFR Fire Investigators and the ATF to determine the responsible parties.
Ishmael Kipkurui of New Mexico broke the NCAA record in the men’s 10,000m Saturday night at Sound Running’s The TEN.
The previous mark was set at the same meet last year by Northern Arizona’s Nico Young who ran 26:52.72.
Kipkurui’s New Mexico teammate Habtom Samuel also ran faster than Young’s mark, finishing second in 26.51.06.
Adrian Wildschutt was the top professional finisher, running 26:51.27 to claim third place overall. The mark was just off his personal best of 26:50.54 set at last year’s Paris Olympics.
Running the 10,000 meters on the track for the first time, Ethiopia’s Telahun Haile Bekele took fourth in 26:52.79. American Graham Blanks finished fifth in 26:57.30 in his first professional 10K.
All five athletes achieved the 2025 World Athletics entry standard of 27:00 for the event. The group of five ran as a lead pack for the bulk of the race until Blanks lost contact with one lap to go. Kipkurui, Samuel, and Wildschutt ran three-wide down the final home stretch, but Kipkurrui surged ahead with a blistering final sprint to break the tape. Kipkurui’s ran his final lap in 55.80 seconds.
“I’m so happy for winning this race today and qualifying for Tokyo,” Kipkurui said.
The Kenyan signed with New Mexico in December of last year. He finished second to Samuel in the 3,000m and 5,000m at the 2025 Mountain West Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships and later placed 14th and seventh in the events, respectively, at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
“It’s good to have him (Kipkurui) on the team,” Samuel said. “We work together and push each other.”
The 20-year-old freshman Kipkurui was the 2023 U20 XC World Champion, leading Kenya to a World team title by one point over Ethiopia. Later that year, he placed 10th in the 5000 meters at the World Championships in Budapest.
Tokyo Men’s 10,000 Meter Results
1. Ishmael KIPKURUI – 26:50.21
2. Habtom SAMUEL – 26:51.06
3. Adrian WILDSCHUTT – 26:51.27
4. Telahun HAILE BEKELE – 26:52.79
5. Graham BLANKS – 26:57.30
6. Gulveer SINGH – 27:00.22
7. Ahmed MUHUMED – 27:03.19
8. Casey CLINGER – 27:11.00
9. Denis KIPNGETICH – 27:20.10
10. Sean McGORTY – 27:20.19
11. Drew HUNTER – 27:24.49
12. Efrem GIDEY – 27:26.95
13. Amon KEMBOI – 27:31.41
14. Kieran TUNTIVATE – 27:36.56
15. Jonas RAESS – 27:36.96
16. Brian BARRAZA – 27:37.54
17. Valentin SOCA REYES – 27:37.65
18. Aaron BIENENFELD – 27:39.82
19. Anthony ROTICH – 27:53.64
20. Rory LEONARD – 28:09.20
21. Simon BEDARD – 28:20.99
22. Noah SCHUTTE – 28:21.12
DNF. Joey BERRIATUA – 1
DNF. Kirubel ERASSA – 1
DNF. Dillon MAGGARD – 1
DNF. Scott BEATTIE – 1
DNF. Josh THOMPSON – 1
DNS. Romain LEGENDRE – 1
DNS. Mohamed ISMAIL – 1
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Donovan Dent, who won the Mountain West Player of the Year award with New Mexico this season, is transferring to UCLA.
The 247Sports transfer portal listing confirmed the move on Saturday. He was ranked as the No. 2 player in the portal.
Dent led the Mountain West with an average of 20.4 points and added 6.4 assists. He shot 49 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from 3-point range.
He announced he was entering the transfer portal after New Mexico’s 71-63 second-round loss in the South Region of the NCAA Tournament to No. 2 seed Michigan State.
It’s a homecoming for Dent, who played in high school at Centennial in Corona, about 65 miles from the UCLA campus. Coming out of high school, 247Sports ranked him as the No. 20 point guard in the nation in the 2022 class.
Dent appeared in 104 games (72 starts) over three seasons with New Mexico, scoring 1,400 total points for an average of 13.5 points per game.
–Field Level Media
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