Richardson To Protect Otero Mesa (NM, to prevent oil and gas drilling)

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | February 1, 2004 | Tania Soussan

[CedarDave]

Sunday, February 1, 2004

Richardson To Protect Otero Mesa

Gov. Bill Richardson pledged Saturday that the state will do all it can to protect Otero Mesa from oil and gas development, including protesting a federal plan for the area and making life tougher for drillers.
    "The federal government just got a notice that if they want to drill in Otero Mesa, this governor and this state are going to fight them," Richardson told a cheering crowd of more than 600 people at the KiMo Theatre in Downtown Albuquerque.
    The U.S. Bureau of Land Management earlier this month released its plan to allow expanded oil and gas drilling on Otero Mesa in southern New Mexico.
    Conservationists and others believe the plan does not do enough to protect the area's fragile Chihuahuan Desert ecosystem. Oil and gas drillers say the plan presents too many barriers to exploration and development.
    Richardson signed an executive order Saturday that directs state agencies to protest the federal plan, work on an alternative plan to be submitted to the BLM next month and toughen regulations for oil and gas drillers.

<< snip>>

Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico spokesman Mark Mathis criticized Richardson's actions. "Our country is facing a natural gas crisis, and the oil and gas industry is being denied access to these critically important resources because some folks want to play Chicken Little," he said, adding that drilling has only minimal impact and does not damage the environment.

<< snip >>

The fight over Otero Mesa has attracted national attention as the area— about 1.2 million acres between Carlsbad and El Paso— has become a symbol of the national debate over oil and gas drilling versus environmental protection on public lands.
Richardson said his executive order— in "language the Department of Interior and the Bush administration cannot misunderstand or confuse"— makes it state policy to protect and conserve the resources of Otero Mesa and prevent oil and gas development there.
    He also directed the state engineer to use very strict criteria when considering water-well permit applications from oil and gas drillers on Otero Mesa. He told the state Forestry Division and Game and Fish Department to implement special protections for plants and animals on Otero Mesa. And he directed the Oil Conservation Division to put a moratorium on oil and gas pits there until it develops new rules to regulate them.
    The ban on pits means oil and gas companies would have to use a more expensive, closed system of trucks or tanks to hold water needed for drilling or water produced in the drilling process.

<< snip>>

Ned Farquhar, the governor's adviser on energy, environment and natural resources, said the state could sue the BLM if its other efforts are unsuccessful. Trisha London of Silver City encouraged the crowd to get involved. "Giving carte blanche to oil companies on our last unique places like Otero Mesa is like economic and environmental suicide," she said. "These places are the heart and soul of New Mexico. How much will you like New Mexico if it starts to look like Texas?"

Copyright 2004 Albuquerque Journal

[razorback-bert]

I am not surprised.

[Ditter]

I love Santa Fe NM. I made my first trip there as a child in 1950. I have loved it ever since. I would love to have a house there & spend summers in that wonderful climate but I know I would have no friends there. I might even be convicted of murder when I whacked a looney liberal (and I would).

[farmfriend]

Rights, farms, environment ping.
Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this list.
I don't get offended if you want to be removed.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!

[Major_Risktaker]

professional protesters, people preferring illegals in their state to out-of-staters, and people still being pi$$ed off at things that happened 500 years ago.____________________

I read one of your hobbies is separating perception from reality. Today you have taught me something about reality with you communication.

That is the term professional protestors. I will think about this term and career politician today. Thanks

____________________

Just In: All oil drilling in the Arab states will come to a halt! It has been found that the rare desert asp and the very rare dune beetle are on the very edge of becoming extinct.

Great Logic Fish hawk.....bottom line gas prices would be unknown during a Marshall Law period then rationing would take place. Most likely than 100 mile per gallon carburetor would come of the shelve also.

Nice job mocking the logic of the EPA. American newbie's like JP Morgan and JD Rockefeller couldn't make a dime today with all of these EPA and OSHA regulation.

Us newbie's getting in to business today are trapped by OLD MONEY and their designer laws protecting old legacy profits dressed up as non- taxable foundations.

Ciao 4 now...

[SierraWasp]

"the area's fragile Chihuahuan Desert ecosystem."

Hot Chihuahua!!! Hasta La Vista, baby!!!

[Grampa Dave]

This left wing lunatic gov from the left wing bowels of the Clintoon era has a lot of support from the Watermelon Jihadists in New Mexico.

Green, brown and no jobs should be their logos.

[Grampa Dave]

I saw what you learned in just a few days during the summer of 2000. I ran 4 md focus dinner groups in one week. 1 in Taos, 2 in Santa Fe and one in Albuquerque.

The political behavior of so many mds in that area made my home of N. California seem conservative except in the Bay Area. I felt like I was in a Political Correctness Dream Center in NM.

[Grampa Dave]

Freepers and other conservatives in New Mexico need to enlarge the artwork below and make it into a picket sign.

Then, whenever this Watermelon Jihadist, who pretends to be a governor, goes anywhere in NM, he gets met by these signs.