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| These natural gas wells in the San Juan Basin of northwest New Mexico glow as excess gas is flared from the wells. Credit: WildEarth Guardians/flickr |
Contact: Alan Septoff for Earthworks, aseptoff@earthworksaction.org, 202-271-2355
Camilla Feibelman, Sierra Club - Rio Grande Chapter camilla.feibelman@sierraclub.org, 505.715.8388
NEW ANALYSIS: 144,377 New Mexicans, including 38,749 children, Threatened by Oil and Gas Industry Air Pollution
Map Data Shows EPA Must Strengthen Newly Proposed Safeguards to Protect Public Health, Climate, following New Mexico’s lead
Carlsbad, NM - A new geospatial analysis released by Earthworks today shows 144,377 New Mexicans including 38,749 children, reside near or attend schools or daycares within a ½ mile threat radius of active oil and gas operations. In the San Juan Basin nearly 80% of the population lives within this radius. In the NM Permian Basin the map shows a nearly 40% increase in Eddy County alone of people living within the threat radius since 2017. This analysis comes as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) works to finalize their widely supported proposed safeguards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and associated toxic air pollution from new and existing oil and gas facilities and as they prepare to introduce a supplemental rule to address routine flaring and smaller leak-prone wells. New Mexico's recently finalized methane and ozone precursor rules set a strong floor for federal rules that would protect all communities like those in Texas, where regulations are limited, and along its border in New Mexico.
