New Mexico Plans Meetings For New Methane Rules – Associated Press
New Mexico environmental regulators say they will be reaching out to communities, environmental groups and industry to develop the state's first methane reduction regulations.
Environment Secretary James Kenney said Friday collaboration will be key in developing a regulatory framework to ensure methane reductions in the oil and gas sector.
Kenney said he and officials with the state energy and minerals department will be meeting with stakeholders to gather ideas and hear concerns. Three meetings are planned this summer in Albuquerque, Farmington and Carlsbad.
The effort stems from an executive order signed earlier this year by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham that targets greenhouse gas emissions and encourages renewable energy development.
The oil and gas industry has said technological advancements are helping to curb methane emissions, even as production reaches record levels.
New Mexico Governor Says No To High-Level Nuclear Waste – Associated Press
New Mexico's governor is voicing her opposition to plans by a New Jersey-based company to build a multibillion-dollar facility in her state to temporarily store spent nuclear fuel from commercial reactors around the United States.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham sent a letter Friday to U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry, saying the interim storage of high-level waste poses significant and unacceptable risks to residents, the environment and the region's economy.
Her letter comes as federal regulators weigh whether to issue a 40-year license for the facility planned by Holtec International.
The project would allow for spent fuel rods to be transferred from sites around the nation to a temporary home near Carlsbad, New Mexico.
Opponents have raised concerns about the project's legality, the safety of transporting high-level waste and the potential for contamination if something were to go wrong.
Albuquerque Pride' Rainbow Crosswalk On Route 66 Vandalized-Associated Press
Police are investigating damage to a rainbow-colored crosswalk created in honor of Albuquerque Pride after several motorcyclists tried to deface it.
The Albuquerque Journal reports Albuquerque police have launched a probe after authorities received several videos of the attack on the crosswalk located along the historic Route 66.
One video posted online shows dozens of bikers riding along Route 66 before a couple of them take turns burning rubber over the crosswalk.
The crosswalk was just days old at the time of the episode.
A contractor installed the crosswalk last Friday in honor of Pride Week and the city's LGBT community. It cost the city about $30,000 — roughly three times the price of a traditional crosswalk paint job.
No arrests have been made.
Mining Company Plans Drilling In Santa Fe National Forest-Associated Press
A mining company is looking to conduct exploratory drilling for minerals in New Mexico's Santa Fe National Forest.
Comexico LLC has submitted a plan of operations to the forest and has applied for an exploratory permit with the state Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department.
The subsidiary of Australia-based New World Cobalt is planning to start drilling core samples in October.
The company says the drilling operations are expected to be on a little over 2 acres (0.8 hectares) near Terrero.
The National Environmental Policy Act requires an environmental impact analysis before drilling can begin.
The Forest Service says it has given the company a list of measures to protect plants and wildlife.
The environmental group WildEarth Guardians says it will oppose the project.
Companies In Sprint To Ship Goods From Mexico Before Tariffs– Associated Press
Companies are rushing to ship as many goods as possible out of Mexico to get ahead of possible tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump.
They are hurriedly sending cars, appliances and construction materials across the border to beat Monday's deadline.
Mexican-made tiles are piled up on the pavement next to a warehouse in New Mexico. A furniture factory and a jalapeno exporter are fretting about a huge financial hit next week.
Jerry Pacheco is president of the Border Industrial Association in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. He says supply chain managers are working as fast as they can.
Trump says he will impose 5% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico unless the country does more to stop the flow of migrants into the U.S.
Officials Clear Fireworks After Blast That Hurt Firefighters– Associated Press
Authorities are cleaning up the remaining fireworks at a New Mexico storage area where an explosion earlier this week critically injured two firefighters who were moving the material for an upcoming show.
The city of Roswell said Friday that the decommissioning process would result in loud noises and some aerial fireworks to be set off. Authorities say heat from Wednesday's blast potentially damaged the remaining fireworks.
The explosion injured a total of 12 firefighters working at the storage area. Most were treated at the scene for minor injuries, but Jeff Stroble and Robert "Hoby" Bonham are still hospitalized.
Stroble has been with the Roswell Fire Department for 17 years. Bonham has worked for the department for 18 years.
Investigators are still trying to find out what caused the explosion.
The Latest: Jury Wraps Deliberations For Day In Border Trial – Associated Press
Jurors have wrapped up deliberations for the day in the trial of a border activist in Arizona accused of harboring immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally.
The jury is expected resume deliberations again Monday in the case of Scott Warren, a volunteer for a humanitarian aid group who was arrested in early 2018.
Prosecutors allege Warren conspired to harbor two immigrants, saying they weren't in distress when Warren provided them with food and shelter in a building used to aid sick migrants who have just crossed into the U.S.
Warren says he was fulfilling his duty to help others when he encountered the migrants near the Mexico border.
Jurors received the case Friday after attorneys concluded closing arguments.
EPA Will Drill Into Colorado Mine For Cleanup Investigation – Associated Press
The Environmental Protection Agency plans to drill a test well into an inactive mine tunnel in southwestern Colorado to get information for a Superfund cleanup.
The EPA said Friday it will drill into the American Tunnel next month to measure water levels and investigate how the passage is connected to other shafts.
The EPA is looking for ways to stop or treat contaminated water pouring into rivers from old mine sites in the Bonita Peak Superfund area.
The agency designated the Superfund site after it inadvertently triggered a spill at the Gold King Mine in August 2015. The spill released 3 million gallons (11.4 million liters) of wastewater, polluting rivers in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.
The EPA says it will follow strict safety guidelines when drilling the test well.