Posted on 06/09/2008 5:06:41 PM PDT by CedarDave
The El Paso County Commission today voted 4-1 to approve a resolution opposing any potential oil and gas drilling on Otero Mesa, across the state line in southern New Mexico, the El Paso Times is reporting.
Commissioners supported a movement to seek federal protection in the U.S. Congress for the mesa ...
The lone vote against the measure came from Commissioner Dan Haggerty, who said the country is currently in a gas crisis, the paper said.
Environmentalists told commissioners that Otero Mesa is a potential water source for El Paso County ...
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management had proposed opening parts of the 2 million-acre mesa to oil and gas drilling, according to earlier reports.
The BLM plan would open 1,589 acres of the overall 2 million acres to additional roads, well pads and pipelines and requires that no more of 5 percent of the mesa's grasslands may be disturbed at any given time, The Associated Press has reported.
Earlier this year, state officials criticized the BLM's environmental assessment of an application by Harvey E. Yates Co. -- Heyco of Roswell -- to put a natural gas well on land it leases on Otero Mesa, the AP reported in January.
New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Secretary Joanna Prukop called the BLM's review of Heyco's application incomplete and based on outdated information, the AP reported.
And Gov. Bill Richardson called Otero Mesa "a precious area," saying it was "critical that every safety measure be taken to protect ground water and native plant and animal species from the activities involved with oil and gas operations," according to the AP.
(Excerpt) Read more at abqjournal.com ...
He just wants more people to ride his trian.
“...protect ground water and native plant and animal species from the activities involved with oil and gas operations,”
Gotta save them peyote cacti !
Otero Mesa is about 27ish miles northeast of McGregor Range which is part of Ft. Bliss Tx. I lived on McGregor Range for 18 months in 79 through 81.
This would be a great place to drill oil. It is near El Paso and a main transportation route. It would also bring lots of jobs and help to reduce the dependence on foreign oil. The critters will either learn to live with it or move to a nearby area.
BTW - The wildlife seemed to cope will with the artillery training base at Dona Ana Range just west of Otero Mesa. Oil wells are a lot less noisy than a 155 Howitzer exploding.
Let’s just pass a law. You can’t drill anywhere there actually is oil.
God forbid that Americans (and particularly TEXANS - and I am one!) do ANYTHING to try to alleviate the manufactured oil/gas shortage!!
Disgusting!!! William Travis, Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett and the other defenders of the Alamo must be spinning in their graves!!!
I say ignore the you know whats and start drilling. They don’t speak for the people.
NM to El Paso County: Go pound sand.
I wish. Richardson will welcome them with open arms.
Happy to collect the lease payments, as long as the leasee can’t do anything he leased the land to do. Fraud, if you or I did this; but business as usual for the governments at all levels.
The BLM had long enough to approve this. Bush should call the head of the BLM and say approve it today by noon, or get fired today at 12:30 PM.
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