NM SNAP benefits for November threatened due to shutdown, HCA secretary says - Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico
The United States Agriculture Department informed states including New Mexico that it will not pay for food stamps in November if the ongoing government shutdown continues, the state’s Health Care Authority secretary said Wednesday.
The order could mean the state’s 450,000 recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program won’t receive nearly $90 million in benefits next month, HCA Secretary Kari Armijo told lawmakers on the Legislative Finance Committee during a meeting Wednesday morning in Santa Fe.
In addition, Armijo said the USDA informed states it may revoke the authorization of the state’s roughly 1,700 SNAP retailers, “so folks with SNAP benefits on their cards would not be able to access those benefits starting in November,” she said.
Armijo said the USDA informed states including New Mexico about the change Friday, Oct. 10, prompting the HCA to prepare for the impact. Roughly one of every five New Mexicans receive SNAP benefits, giving it the highest rate of SNAP reliance in the country.
“We are prepared to, if the shutdown comes to an end in the next couple of weeks, really act quickly and make sure that folks get those benefits as timely as possible in November,” she said.
“But as of right now, it’s looking like those benefits will be delayed,” she said.
The USDA also recently announced it was transferring funds into the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children — known as WIC—to keep it running through October.
The HCA is alerting food banks about the abrupt termination of benefits, Armijo said, in anticipation of increased demand at food bank lines. The authority is also trying to expedite the delivery of roughly $8 million in funding for food banks lawmakers approved in the special legislative session earlier this month.
The Authority is also preparing notices to SNAP recipients, she said, and it is trying to identify other sources for food and donations.
An HCA spokesperson provided Source New Mexico with the one-page letter the USDA sent states on Oct. 10. It cites the ongoing federal government shutdown and says, “If the current lapse in appropriations continues, there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for approximately 42 million individuals across the Nation.”
The letter goes on to instruct states not to submit client files to statewide SNAP vendors they’d need to approve SNAP purchases in November, “in the interest of preserving maximum flexibility.”
LFC Director Charles Sallee told lawmakers earlier Wednesday that his agency heard about the change Tuesday and was seeking clarity about why administrators for SNAP, a permanent program typically unaffected in a federal shutdown, would be claiming the program has no funding.
“We’re following up with HCA as well as other folks to verify whether food stamps is really out of money or if this is just a tactic that the administration is playing in the overall negotiation,” he said.
The HCA is also seeking clarity from the USDA about whether funds the state receives to administer SNAP will also be cut or delayed.
The possible revocation of SNAP retailer authorization would render other legislative funding during the Oct. 1 special session moot, Armijo said. Lawmakers approved $16.6 million to maintain SNAP benefits ahead of federal cuts in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
“So all of the investments that we’ve made in terms of those state funded supplements also would not be able to be utilized,” she said.
Doña Ana County pursues desalination plant following Project Jupiter vote - Algernon D'Ammassa, Albuquerque Journal
Doña Ana County commissioners on Tuesday authorized County Manager Scott Andrews to seek state funding for a proposed desalination plant in the Santa Teresa Industrial Park.
The county will apply for up to $25 million from New Mexico's Strategic Water Supply program, established by the state Legislature earlier this year and administered by the state Environment Department, to support the project with $15 million in matching dollars the county plans to allocate from Project Jupiter gross receipts tax rebates.
"We've been talking about trying to find a way to fund a desalination plant for over two years," Commissioner Shannon Reynolds said during Tuesday's public meeting. "The only reason Project Jupiter is mentioned (in the resolution) is simply because there's additional funding that wasn't available to us before that."
Project Jupiter is a proposed complex of four data centers, a power generation facility and business offices being developed by BorderPlex Digital Assets and Stack Infrastructure in the industrial area near the southern border. The project is being funded in part through $165 billion in industrial revenue bonds and other tax incentives, with the county agreeing to direct payments instead of regular property and gross receipts taxes. The data center's tenant is to be Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, with OpenAI as its primary client.
The county has previously issued a request for information seeking input from private companies on developing a desalination plant.
In a separate resolution, commissioners authorized Andrews to apply for $10 million from the same fund to fund research into brackish water sources from the Mesilla Basin and Mount Riley aquifers "to determine the commercial viability of brackish water withdrawal and treatment to meet the regional water needs of the County," with an additional $5 million in matching funds also generated from Project Jupiter.
Researchers at New Mexico State University, New Mexico Tech and the Office of the State Engineer have identified a vast supply of mostly brackish water within the Mesilla Basin, which crosses beneath the U.S.-Mexico border.
The research is seen as crucial for the region in light of climate change, federal litigation regarding interstate use of Rio Grande water, and growth in the City of Sunland Park and the unincorporated Santa Teresa area.
Further complicating water planning is the pending dissolution of the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority, the water utility jointly formed by the county and the City of Sunland Park. The county voted to exit the compact in May, and CRRUA is set to be absorbed into a new city utility department.
A draft grant application provided to the commissioners ahead of Tuesday's meeting estimates the total cost of the plant at $75 million, aiming to provide steady potable water supply for the Santa Teresa area and address "long-standing water security issues that have constrained economic development and limited reliable water access in one of the County's most strategically important growth corridors."
That estimate, appearing in a document still prominently marked "draft," is considerably lower than NMSU's 2023 projection that a desalination plant producing 5 million gallons per day would cost $115.5 million.
The project, styled as the Santa Teresa Aquifer Resilience program, would use reverse osmosis technology to remove salts and other solids, producing 4 million gallons per day, and might incorporate treatment and recycling of wastewater as well, increasing the output by an additional 1.5 million gallons per day.
The draft application anticipates construction to begin in 2028 or 2029, following site selection, environmental reviews and other preliminary processes. Separately, the county has reported that its RFI has led to discussions with private entities behind four submissions regarding the desalination project.
The two resolutions were approved unanimously by the commissioners.
NMSU also entered into a $30,000 contract with BorderPlex Digital Assets back in February for "advisory work and counseling" pertaining to a desalination pilot project in which the developer said it would collaborate with EPCOR USA.
Other Project Jupiter votes
Also on Tuesday, the commissioners addressed an alleged Open Meetings Act violation at the Sept. 19 meeting where they debated Project Jupiter, retroactively clarifying the resolution to add more specificity to what was discussed when commissioners entered closed session during the meeting.
Interim county attorney Cari Neill said the county believed commissioners "substantially" complied with the law's requirements for going into closed session, but she recommended adjusting the motion and annotating the meeting minutes in response to at least one complaint that the closed meeting motion had been too vague as to its subject matter.
Commissioners also approved an ordinance agreeing to reduced building permit fees for Project Jupiter, with the developer agreeing to pay the county a total of $4.5 million over four years and approving a project participation agreement that includes clawback provisions if the developer does not meet its investment and employment targets. The vote was 4-1, with Commissioner Susana Chaparro voting no, without comment.
NM officials release PFAS exposure survey for campers, hunters and anglers at Holloman Lake - Danielle Prokop, Source New Mexico
New Mexico environment officials on Tuesday released a national survey to assess potential exposures to so-called ‘forever chemicals’ at Holloman Lake, which has some of the highest recorded levels on record of toxic PFAS contamination.
All responses to the 10-minute survey will be kept confidential, according to environment officials, who are requesting participation from people over 18 who spent time camping, fishing or boating at the lake.
“Our state’s natural beauty attracts outdoor enthusiasts from around the world and the Environment Department is committed to safeguarding outdoor recreation for campers, hikers, and hunters,” Environment Secretary James Kenney said in a statement. “This survey is one of the first of its kind, aiming to inform New Mexicans and others of potential impacts of PFAS pollution on their health.”
NMED said results from the survey, which will remain open until Nov. 30, will be made public.
Earlier this year, scientists documented record-breaking levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in plant samples and studies of animal carcasses at Holloman Lake.
State officials believe the contamination at the man-made chain of wetlands near White Sands National Park stems from neighboring Holloman Air Force Base’s use from the 1970s through 2019 of firefighting foam containing PFAS. This class of chemicals doesn’t easily break down and are difficult to clean up, persisting in water and soils and accumulating in the bodies of humans and animals.
While research is still being conducted on PFAS, federal research has linked PFAS exposure to kidney and reproductive cancers, decreased fertility, fetal developmental delays, disruption of immune responses and liver functions in people.
The high levels of PFAS prompted a health advisory in January from the New Mexico Department of Health, requesting that any hunters who ate waterfowl between 2010 and 2024 from Lake Holloman speak to their doctor.
University of New Mexico Biology Professor Chris Witt published research in February 2024 that showed wild ducks had high rates of contamination and were likely unsafe to eat.
He told Source NM in an interview Tuesday that since then, his research is showing consistent high levels in waterfowl.
“That game is undoubtedly really highly contaminated, particularly with PFOS [perfluorooctane sulfonate], which is one of the worst, most persistent and pernicious PFAS substances,” Witt said. “I’m sure that there are people out there, hunters who live in Alamagordo, Otero County, other parts of New Mexico, who maybe should get their blood checked to see how much circulating PFAS they have as a result of that exposure to contaminated wildlife.”
The site receives treated wastewater from the base, along with campsites and nature trails. The lake is not a source of drinking water for Alamogordo or surrounding communities. But the high levels of PFAS elicited warnings from health officials not to drink or swim in the lake.
The air force closed access to the lake in July, citing potential risks from PFAS exposure. New Mexico is embroiled in two lawsuits with the U.S. military over PFAS contamination on multiple air force bases and how to address clean up.
In January, lawmakers passed specific provisions allowing the state to have explicit powers to treat the chemicals as hazardous waste and require their clean-up and a new law to require explicit labels and create rules to eventually phase out the sale of everyday products containing PFAS.
PNM, NM Gas Co. offer payment assistance to customers affected by government shutdown - Hannah Garcia, Albuquerque Journal
New Mexico’s two largest utilities are offering payment support to federal employees affected by the ongoing government shutdown.
Affected New Mexico Gas Co. customers, whether furloughed or unpaid, will not face disconnections or late fees during the winter heating season. Assistance is planned through mid-March or until the shutdown, which began Oct. 1, is resolved.
Similarly, Public Service Company of New Mexico is suspending disconnections and offering payment assistance to affected customers. Impacted federal workers who receive a disconnect notice can submit a special form for payment extensions on its website.
PNM spokesperson Jeff Buell said while these customers face uncertainty, the utility wanted to “help them at least not have to worry about power while they are furloughed.”
NMGC spokesperson Tim Korte said the assistance does not save customers money, but will allow them to reorganize or spread out payments. The utility offers similar aid to low-income customers and is now extending the benefit to impacted federal employees.
The gas utility said affected customers can call or visit any of the 22 NMGC walk-in offices to discuss residential service arrangements and other available assistance.
Customers will be required to verify their active federal employment status by presenting a government employee photo identification, a badge or other documentation of proof at an NMGC office or to a field collector.
Neither NMGC nor PNM, which serve hundreds of thousands of households and businesses, has an estimate of how many of its customers are impacted. But, considering each serves several communities housing federal facilities, the assistance is expected to reach a large portion of these employees in New Mexico.
The state boasts some 22,000 federal civilian employees and another 22,000 active duty and reserve military personnel.
“We understand that sometimes customers face circumstances beyond their control that make it difficult to pay their bill, and we want to help,” Korte said.
New Mexico Gas Co. impacted customers can call 1-888-664-2726 or find NMGC offices at www.nmgco.com/en/locations
Public Service Company of New Mexico impacted customers can visit www.pnm.com/en/financial-assistance
Albuquerque students make gains in reading, math, backslide in science - Noah Alcala Bach, Albuquerque Journal
Both the state and its largest school district celebrated improvements in students’ reading scores, with lesser progress seen in math scores.
“We’re not surprised by the results; we’re very proud of our staff and our students for the results, but we’re not surprised,” Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Gabriella Blakey said Tuesday.
According to the district, reading and writing proficiency jumped 4.8 percentage points, and math by 2.3. The increases bring APS students’ proficiency in English to 43.5% and 26.5% in math.
The rates were based on the New Mexico Measures of Student Success and Achievement, a test administered to 30,000 APS students this past spring.
While the district saw gains in math and reading, its students’ proficiency in science slipped.
“APS students in grades 5, 8 and 11 took the New Mexico Assessment of Science Readiness last spring, and of those, 34.8% tested proficient, a 3 percentage point decrease from the prior school year,” APS spokesperson Martin Salazar said.
The trends APS saw were in line with those across New Mexico, and Blakey believes that’s mainly because the district accounts for over 20% of the state’s public school students.
“We have taken really seriously that APS is a big weight of the state, and so if we don’t rise, then the state won’t,” Blakey said. “APS has a big part in being able to celebrate because we do know that we carry the majority of the students, and if we thrive, then the state of New Mexico does, too.”
For the state, third through eighth graders read at a 44% proficiency rate — an increase of 10 percentage points.
“These results confirm that the state’s investments in early literacy and the science of reading are working,” Public Education Department Secretary Mariana Padilla said in a statement Tuesday.
However, like APS, the PED saw little growth in math, with less than a 1 percentage point change since 2022. The states’ proficiency rates in math for students in grades three through eight were roughly 27% and 12% for juniors in high school.
According to PED data, fifth graders, eighth graders and juniors had a proficiency rate of 35% in science — a 3 percentage point decline from the previous year.
“Our literacy investments are producing results, but sustained focus and funding are needed in math and science to ensure all students graduate ready for college and career,” Padilla wrote.
Just like APS’ superintendent, Ellen Bernstein, president of the Albuquerque Teachers Federation, was not surprised by the improvements in proficiency. But for different reasons.
“I’m not surprised that they resulted in higher test scores, that’s a good thing, but they’re also designed to get higher test scores because they focus so narrowly on what is tested,” she said. “What I hear from, especially, but not only, elementary school teachers about the amount of work that they are shouldering, the number of mandates that keep landing on their shoulders, and how exhausted they are from the workload.”
She added that she doesn’t want to downplay the results released Tuesday, “while we’re celebrating as a state and a district,” she doesn’t believe the testing tells the entire story about what’s happening in the classrooms.
“The analogy I always use is what a student knows and is able to do is like a jigsaw puzzle, and it has 1,000 pieces, and the standardized testing certainly is some of those pieces,” Bernstein said. “But it’s not the whole picture of what a kid knows and is able to do, that’s far more complex.”
Santa Fe County officially buys 2,700-acre open space north of Eldorado - Santa Fe New Mexican
Santa Fe County has taken a step to mitigate suburban sprawl south of Interstate 25.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the county has purchased about 2,700 acres of land north of Eldorado. Bobcat Crossing Ranch is costing the county about $3.7 million to acquire.
The land includes piñon-juniper woodland, rolling hills and grasslands.
In a statement, the county's Open Lands, Trails and Parks Advisory Committee describes the purchase as “a big win for wildlife, water resources, and the people of Santa Fe County."
The county acquired the property on Oct. 9. The county will now develop a property management plan and master plan to develop trails on the tract.
The land was purchased from the Rancho Viejo Partnership, which owns the ranch and is also behind the controversial proposed Rancho Viejo Solar project near Eldorado.