Current work in wildlife, rivers, public lands, and climate

Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Citizen Groups Challenge Fracking in Santa Fe National Forest

Legal Push Part of Broader Effort to Safeguard Greater Chaco from Oil and Gas Industry
Contact: Jeremy Nichols (303) 437-7663 jnichols@wildearthguardians.org

Additional Contacts:

Kyle Tisdel,Western Environmental Law Center, 575-613-8050, tisdel@westernlaw.org

Samantha Ruscavage-Barz, WildEarth Guardians, 505-401-4180, sruscavagebarz@wildearthguardians.org

Mike Eisenfeld, San Juan Citizens Alliance, 505-360-8994, mike@sanjuancitizens.org

Rachel Conn, Amigos Bravos, 575-770-8327, rconn@amigosbravos.org

Teresa Seamster, Sierra Club, 505-983-2703,tc.seamster@gmail.com

Carol Davis, Diné Citizens AgainstRuining Our Environment, 928-221-7859, caroljdavis.2004@gmail.com

SANTA FE, NM — In a bid to protect New Mexico’s water, air,and climate, a coalition of environmental groups filed suit yesterdaychallenging the Obama administration’s plan to allow fracking in the Santa FeNational Forest.

The Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service auctionedmore than 20,000acres of oil and gas leases on the Santa Fe National Forest in 2015 despitemore than a hundred protestletters from citizens and organizations. The lease sale perpetuates a dangerouspattern of federal agencies erroneously relying on the grossly outdated 2003 Farmingtonresource management plan (RMP) to facilitate a rush to frack New Mexico’sMancos Shale in advance of a true analysis of the impacts of modern frackingtechnologies.

The 2003 RMP specifically excludes analysis of horizontaldrilling and multi-stage fracking, as these technologies were unfeasible anduneconomic 13 years ago, and as such, does not reflect the realities of today’spractices. BLM is currently writing an amendment to the RMP to reflect these newtechnologies—admitting that the 2003 RMP is obsolete. Yet, this hasn’t stoppedthe agency from using the outdated plan to authorize oil and gas activity onpublic lands in the Santa Fe National Forest and the Greater Chaco region.

“We’re seeing the same intellectually dishonesttechniques here from the administration as those used to green-light unstudiedfracking in the Greater Chaco region,” said Kyle Tisdel of the WesternEnvironmental Law Center. “This is a clear attempt to circumventmeaningful environmental review for fossil fuel extraction on our public landsin northern New Mexico, consequences be damned. Our conscience demands we stepin to stop this.”

“With the Santa Fe National Forest being targeted forfracking, it’s clear the oil and gas industry believes there is no place sacredin the American Southwest,” said Samantha Ruscavage-Barz, staff attorney forWildEarth Guardians. “With our climate and our future at stake, we’re taking astand with this lawsuit and we sincerely hope the Obama administrationreconsiders its decision to sacrifice our public lands.”

Horizontal wells have double the surface impact (5.2 acres)of vertical wells (2 acres) and emit over 250 percent more air pollution,including toxic volatile organic compounds and greenhouse gases. Horizontal wells also require 5-10 times morewater—a significant concern in the arid Southwest.

Horizontal drilling and multi-stage fracking uses hundredsof thousands of gallons of highly pressurized water and toxic chemicals to shatterunderground geology. This toxic cocktail includes known carcinogens and chemicalsharmful to human health. If a wellbore is not properly sealed and cased, or itsintegrity is otherwise compromised, these chemicals can escape as they movethrough the wellbore, risking groundwater contamination.

“Leasing in the Santa Fe National Forest by the BLMcontinues a reckless practice of leaping before looking, putting communities inthe Cuba, New Mexico area at risk from oil and gas industrialization andsignificant adverse impacts,” said Mike Eisenfeld, Energy and Climate Program manager of San Juan CitizensAlliance.

“As oil and gas activity creeps toward Santa Fe andAlbuquerque, it is critical that the federal government be held accountable atthe lease stage for protection of our land, water, air, culture andcommunities.”

“The Santa Fe National Forest manages one of thelargest collections of heritage sites in the United States,” said TeresaSeaster of the Sierra Club. “This is a legacy that is central to thehistory and traditional practices to native people living here. The footprintof development is already altering that landscape in advance of BLM’s resourcemanagement plan revision.”

“Unwise oil and gas development in our headwaters candestroy key water resources—such as high priority wetlands—and puts thefuture water supply for downstream New Mexico communities and ecosystems at risk,”said Rachel Conn, projects director for Amigos Bravos. “Instead of beingripped up for short term profits, the headwaters found in the Santa Fe NationalForest should be maintained so they continue to provide water forwildlife, agriculture, and families.”

The groups filing suit today include the San Juan CitizensAlliance, Diné Citizens Against Ruining Our Environment, Amigos Bravos,WildEarth Guardians, and the Sierra Club. The challenged leases would expandoil and gas drilling and fracking into previously undeveloped areas of the SantaFe National Forest on the remote and steep west side of the Jemez Mountainsnorth of Cuba and near the San Pedro Parks Wilderness.

A copy of the complaint is available here.