Pumpjack near Carlsbad, NM. Photo credit: Purplexsu, Adobe Stock.
New rules are needed to stop PFAS from poisoning New Mexico communities, water, and land
End PFAS in New Mexico’s Oil & Gas Industry
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has asked U.S. EPA to list dangerous PFAS “forever chemicals” under federal hazardous waste rules and apply “uniform” regulation of PFAS. Unfortunately, those rules don’t apply to oil and gas waste.
Thanks to a report from Physicians for Social Responsibility, we now know that the oil and gas industry uses PFAS in operations across New Mexico. That means the industry’s waste is likely to contain PFAS, which has been linked to cancers, reproductive problems, decreased vaccine response, and more.
Read the Rulemaking Application here.
We’re calling on the Governor and the New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission to make sure oil and gas is included in the uniform management of PFAS to protect human health and the environment. Her administration can do this by:
- Endorsing our proposed rule to stop PFAS and “trade secrets” in oil and gas companies
- Apply hazardous waste rules to oil and gas wastes that contains hazards like PFAS
- Meet with frontline communities and workers about protection from exposures to oil and gas PFAS and other toxins
Protect the Public, Ban Oil & Gas PFAS
The New Mexico oil and gas industry’s use of toxic “forever” chemicals threatens to contaminate drinking water and put people’s health at risk. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham needs to take immediate action to ban the use of these toxic chemicals.