Drilling boom sparks environmental worries (NM story)

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | April 16, 2018 | Kevin Robinson-Avila

[CedarDave]

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The boom in New Mexico’s oil patch is pumping up state revenue and economic development in Lea and Eddy counties, but it’s also raising many red flags for environmental organizations.

Activists say the unprecedented level of investment and activity flooding into southeastern New Mexico, which elevated the state last year to third-largest oil producer in the nation, foreshadows long-term environmental problems unless balanced development plans and firm regulations are in place to protect natural resources. That includes better control of methane emissions, plus efforts to protect water, vegetation and wildlife against overzealous development and industrial accidents such as oil spills.

Government and industry say they’re working diligently to protect the environment through careful monitoring and new technologies that help limit impacts on everything from wildlife and water to methane emissions.

All sides will weigh in on those things as the Bureau of Land Management’s Carlsbad office develops a new resource management plan that it expects to conclude this year.

Until recently, activists focused more on other parts of the state, particularly methane emissions in the northwest San Juan Basin and industry development around Chaco Culture Historical National Park. But with the southeast boom gaining momentum, environmentalists are concentrating more on the oil patch, which many see as key in the battle over climate change.

“It’s the elephant in the room right now,” said Thomas Singer, a western Environmental Law Center senior policy adviser. “The Permian Basin is poised to be a major global player in the industry and also a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. New Mexicans need to take responsibility, because the short-term economic gains from the boom come with huge environmental risks.”

[CedarDave]

The radical hard-core enviro-nazis are gearing up for a fight over the expansion of oil & gas production in NM as they continue their futile fight (for now) over fossil fuel production and use. They ignore the major improvements in environmental management, especially by the majors (lined pits, immediate spill response, reuse of frack and produced water, and pipeline growth to reduce flaring of natural gas ([methane]). Even the NM Dems in the legislature, while not keen on the expansion, recognize the only way to pay for their pet programs are oil and gas revenues that provide 33% of state funding.

[CedarDave]

Feeling ambitious this afternoon so getting caught up on posting NM stories.

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[NorthMountain]

Activists say

Activists are among the absolutely most useless people on the face of the Earth.

[butlerweave]

They’re forcing people to use reusable bags just like the Dark Ages ,LOL

[stinkerpot65]

Cucked New Mexico will screw that industry up.

Just leaves more for Texas ...

[Gay State Conservative]

New Mexico is one of the poorest states in the country.An oil boom just might change that.

[fishtank]

Yet they could care less about this story.....

[wbill]

Thomas Singer, a western Environmental Law Center senior policy adviser(said)... "the short-term economic gains from the boom come with huge environmental risks.”

The only huge risk is to his salary when enough people decide that he's touting an enormous scam.

In my opinion, that is.

[Cicero]

Gender bending fish? Sounds politically correct to me.

[Magnum44]

[Da Coyote]

The true lede should be “Drilling boom sparks liberal newspaper reporter worries.”

[FLT-bird]

The envirosocialists know they’re screwed. They want to block off oil and gas production to force their ridiculous unicorn farts programs of wind and solar but New Mexico badly needs money and the profit potential is too great to turn down.

[shanover]

Enviro-Nazi Activists are pathetic watermelon losers. There is never any common ground or reasonable discussion with them. It’s all about Socialist/Communist power and very little problem solving. Many are well compensated to stir the pot and mobilize the sheep.

[Bookshelf]

What garbage. They have been pumping natural gas (and some oil) in quantity from Eddy County for more than twenty years. There has been no problem in a region that is located at the tail end of any tourist’s dream vacation.