New Mexico governor proposes $500M investment in treating oil production wastewater - By Morgan Lee Associated Press
New Mexico would underwrite development of a strategic new source of water by buying treated water that originates from the used, salty byproducts of oil and natural gas drilling, and help preserve its freshwater aquifers in the process, under a proposal from the state's Democratic governor.
The initiative from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, announced Tuesday from the international climate conference at Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, would set water purification standards and purchase treated water that originates from oil fields as well as the state's vast natural underground reservoirs of brine. It requires legislative approval.
The idea is to create a government-guaranteed market for the commodity — treated water — and attract private enterprise to build desalinization and treatment facilities, securing new sources of water for industrial applications. The administration hopes to make the water available to businesses ranging from microchip manufacturers to hydrogen fuel producers that separate the element from water in an energy-intensive process.
Lujan Grisham said she'll ask the Legislature to set aside $500 million to underwrite acquisition of treated water. The arrangement would harness the state's bonding authority and financial reserves held in its multibillion-dollar Severance Tax Permanent Fund. The trust, founded in the 1970s, is sustained by taxes on the extraction of oil, natural gas and other minerals from state land.
"We're going to turn water — this waste, which is a problem — into a commodity," Lujan Grisham said at the conference. "We give a fixed, long-term, (let's) say 30-year contract to any number of companies that can provide the technology to identify that water, to clean that water up, and to use it in chip manufacturing, solar manufacturing."
She said the goal is avoid a reckoning on fresh-water supplies as the Rio Grande and underground fresh-water aquifers recede. The state also has extensive underground reservoirs of salty water that have been of limited use.
That brackish water is a crucial component in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and advanced drilling techniques that have helped turn New Mexico into the No. 2 oil production state in the U.S. The state's oil wells draw out far more water than oil, by several multiples, according to oil field regulators.
State Environment Secretary James Kenney said the goal is to move water from the "waste to the commodity side of the ledger," noting that minerals such as lithium might be recovered during water treatment for commercial purposes. He acknowledged that the environmental implications are complex and offered assurances of adequate oversight through a 2019 law regarding oil industry water uses.
"We'll have that carrot and stick approach," Kenney said "We need that carrot approach to continue to move the economic needle while preserving our freshwater resources."
Democratic state Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth of Santa Fe signaled enthusiasm for the ideas in a social media post.
"Creating a state reserve of treated water for renewable energy projects merits serious consideration in the upcoming session," Wirth said.
New Mexico state government is navigating an unprecedented financial windfall from record setting oil production centered in the Permian Basin that extends across southeastern New Mexico and portions of western Texas. The state currently anticipates a $3.5 billion general fund surplus for the coming fiscal year — equal to roughly one-third of current annual spending commitments.
Still, it's unclear how the water initiative will be received when the Democratic-led Legislature convenes in January.
Lawmakers within the Democratic Party have clashed in recent years over strategies for modernizing the electric grid, transportation and water infrastructure to address climate change, wary of disrupting an oil industry that is a major source of private employment and government spending.
Republican state Rep. Larry Scott of Hobbs, an oil industry engineer, expressed skepticism that the state can quickly scale up water treatment and dispose of massive amounts of salt.
"Anybody that comes to me with a project to make the desert bloom, my first question has to be, what are you going to do with salt?" he said. "It's monumental. And unless you solve that problem, produced water will continue to be a waste product."
Vexus Fiber completes first step in massive high speed ABQ broadband network - Bryce Dix, KUNM News
The Albuquerque metro area is now one step closer to faster broadband.
After breaking ground on its new 100% fiber optic network in March, Vexus Fiber has finished the first phase of the project – launching service to over 1,000 homes and businesses north of I-40 and West of I-25.
Eventually, the network will span all of Albuquerque by 2028.
Fiber-optic internet, commonly called fiber internet or simply “fiber,” is a broadband connection that can reach speeds of up to 10 Gigabits per second.
The technology uses fiber-optic cable, which can send data as fast as 70% the speed of light.
“Bringing reliable high-speed fiber internet to our city will help bridge the digital divide for Albuquerque families so they have the tools they need to learn and work,” said Mayor Tim Keller in a press release. “This is also a powerful tool for businesses that will help with ongoing economic development to create new opportunities in our community.”
Other parts of the city are already under construction for the high-speed internet. By the end of the year, Vexus plans to make the service available to 3,000 homes and businesses.
ABQ city council doubles down on abolishing air regulatory board, ending environmental justice rule hearing - Bryce Dix, KUNM News
The Albuquerque City Council has doubled down on their approval of two bills abolishing an air quality regulatory board and, at the same time, curbing its powers until February of next year – putting a swift end to a much-anticipated environmental justice rule hearing just beginning this week.
The joint Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board was considering the Health, Environment & Equity Impacts or HEEI regulation, a rule that has been in the making for years.
They would change the City of Albuquerque Environmental Health Department (EHD) and the Air Quality Control Board’s approach to how they issue air pollution permits, essentially mandating an automatic denial of an application if a facility will be located in an “overburdened community” and negatively impact the health of residents without an impact analysis.
These hearings came a mere few weeks after Albuquerque City Councilor and oil and gas executive Dan Lewis pushed to abolish the joint board and establish the moratorium.
Lewis explicitly cited this move as an attempt to stop the HEEI proposal dead in its tracks.
While passed by the council on a 5-4 vote in November, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller vetoed the initiatives, citing legal issues and concerns with future air quality permits.
On Monday night, the council lashed back – overriding Mayor Tim Keller’s Nov. 22 vetoes. Councilors voted 7-2 to reinstate the moratorium and 6-3 to completely abolish the board’s membership.
Health Department urges vaccination ahead of winter holiday gatherings – By Nash Jones, KUNM News
As New Mexicans gather indoors for winter holiday celebrations, the Department of Health is urging people to get vaccinated for flu. Though the illness is already spreading in the state, the department says it’s not too late to get the shot, as flu usually peaks in February. Updated COVID boosters are also available, while RSV vaccines for babies are in limited supply.
Anyone six months and older can get a flu shot. The health department says about 80% of eligible New Mexicans still haven’t gotten one this year.
DOH Chief Medical Officer Miranda Durham said in a statement that the shot not only lowers the chance of catching the flu at all, but makes the illness more manageable for those who still get it. According to DOH, this year’s flu vaccine “seems to be well-matched to the virus,” and could lower the risk of getting sick by 40-60%.
When a person who isn’t particularly at risk gets vaccinated, it also helps protect the most vulnerable people, who include babies, seniors, pregnant people and those with chronic conditions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention alsorecommends people over 6 months old get the newly formulated COVID booster shot.
New RSV vaccinations are also available forseniors over 60 years old andinfants. However, the dose for babies over 11 pounds is inshort supply nationally. The CDCrecommends providers prioritize it for those under 6 months old, as well as babies under 8 months who are Native American or have underlying conditions. As an alternative during the shortage, the CDC says people 32-36 weeks pregnant can get one of the adult RSV vaccines to help protect their babies.
Court 'justice stations' open in New Mexico, Navajo Nation, allowing more remote appearances - Associated Press
New Mexico officials are setting up "justice stations" in the northwestern part of the state including on the Navajo Nation, in order to help people access state courts without traveling as far.
State officials said Monday that newly installed judicial outposts provide virtual access to magistrate court hearings.
"By using a justice station, people can conduct business with a state court when they have no internet connection at their homes or lack reliable cellular phone service," Eleventh Judicial District Chief Judge Curtis Gurley said in a statement. "The justice stations offer more convenience for people who otherwise would need to go to Gallup, Farmington or Aztec for a court hearing."
Each of the stations has a computer allowing people to appear remotely in a hearing conducted by one of the magistrate courts in San Juan or McKinley counties. The stations can be used for traffic cases and pretrial hearings in misdemeanor and civil cases in those magistrate courts, which make up the Eleventh Judicial District.
The stations can't be used for domestic violence cases in the district.
Two justice stations are at Navajo Nation chapter houses, including Rock Springs, northwest of Gallup, and Beclabito, west of Shiprock. There's also a station at the Octavia Fellin Public Library in Gallup.
In the future, Gurley said "our goal is to establish more justice stations, particularly in rural areas, and expand the types of court business that can be conducted at them.
Former transport officer pleads guilty to raping NM detainee - By Nash Jones, KUNM News
A former prisoner transport officer for a private company has pleaded guilty to raping a woman who was detained in Santa Fe, according to the U.S. Justice Department.
The Office of U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez announced Monday that Marquet Johnson admitted to raping a woman who was detained pending trial while transporting her from New Mexico to Colorado in 2019. Johnson worked for Inmate Services Corporation, driving people arrested elsewhere back to the state that issued their warrant.
According to the announcement, while stopped at a New Mexico gas station, Johnson threatened the woman with a “dangerous weapon” while sexually assaulting her in the back of the transport van after his partner stepped away.
Uballez’s Office says Johnson also admitted to raping two more women detained pending trial in other states while transporting them that same year.
The former officer faces a maximum of 30 years in prison and five years supervised release under a plea agreement. He must also pay restitution to the victim and register as a sex offender.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office and Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office investigated the case.