House members move to kill Biden’s anti-gas car regulations at EPA
The derailment of 35 rail cars and following explosion and fire resulted in a shutdown of Interstate 40 for most of the weekend in western New Mexico near the Arizona state line.
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The closure involved a nearly 50-mile stretch of the interstate because six of the derailed BNSF Railway cars were carrying propane. The derailment happened at mid-day on Friday and evacuation orders were immediately issued by authorities. No injuries were reported when the rail cars jumped the tracks.
The train was transporting non-odorous propane and gasoline, and a half-dozen rail cars caught fire and burned for hours after the derailment, New Mexico State Police Lt. Phil Vargas said reported the Associated Press.
Representatives of the National Transportation Safety Board were expected on hand Saturday to begin assessment of the scene.
Adrian HeddenEl Rito Mediaachedden@elritomedia.com Duke Rodriguez planned to tap into his experience as a state cabinet secretary and healthcare executive should he be elected governor of New Mexico. Rodriguez, 68, is chief executive officer of cannabis company Ultra Health, New Mexico’s largest, which he founded in 2012. He was named chief operating officer of Lovelace […]
MOUNTAINAIR, N.M. — Three people are dead and more than a dozen first responders were quarantined and being treated Wednesday for exposure to an unidentified substance after being called to a suspected drug overdose at a rural New Mexico home, authorities said.
New Mexico State Police said three of the four people who were found unresponsive inside the home east of Albuquerque died. The fourth was being treated at a hospital in Albuquerque.
During the response, authorities said, 18 first responders were exposed to the substance and began experiencing symptoms including nausea and dizziness. All of the first responders were transported to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where they were being monitored.
Two of the first responders were listed in serious condition, said Officer Wilson Silver with New Mexico State Police.
Albuquerque Fire Rescue Hazmat teams were assisting at the scene in Mountainair, a rural community east of Albuquerque, in efforts to identify the substance involved.
“At this time, investigators believe the substance may be transmitted through contact and do not believe it to be airborne,” Silver said.
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While the investigation was ongoing, Mountainair Mayor Peter Nieto said in a social media post that all indications were pointing toward narcotics as a possible factor. He added that there was no threat to the public and that a perimeter had been set up around the home.
Residents, however, took to social media to voice their frustrations about drug use in the community and elsewhere.
The mayor said the town’s law enforcement officers and first responders work every day to protect the community and respond to difficult situations.
“But the reality is that addiction and substance abuse are issues affecting communities all across our state and nation,” Nieto said. “There is no simple or immediate solution. Lasting change requires family support, accountability, education, and most importantly, individuals who are willing to accept help.”
Adrian HeddenEl Rito Mediaachedden@elritomedia.com Making New Mexico more “business friendly” was at the center for Doug Turner’s case for the state’s highest office. Turner, 57, is one of three candidates vying for the Republican Party’s nomination for governor in the June 2 Primary Election. A Taos resident, Turner owns Albuquerque-based public relations firm Agenda Global […]
