produced water

A newly minted bill in the legislative session that would allow the discharge of treated oil and gas wastewater into New Mexico’s streams, rivers, and aquifers is garnering widespread condemnation from environmentalists.

The administration of New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham appears to have pressured members of the state Water Quality Control Commission to consider a petition reversing a rule the commission passed unanimously in May that banned fossil fuel wastewater from being used outside oilfield work and testing.

In a meeting lasting just 30 minutes, the Senate Conservation Committee resuscitated a tabled bill prioritized by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and passed it along Wednesday morning to the Senate Finance Committee on a 5-3 “no recommendation” vote.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced at the U.N. climate summit that New Mexico will invest $500 million into reusing brackish and produced water to boost green energy production while withstanding drought. Reporter for Capital & Main Jerry Redfern told KUNM that, at this point, all we know about what the program would look like are the "broad strokes."

Earthquake activity has increased dramatically in southern New Mexico likely due to injection wells in the Permian Basin. These are used to store…