Don't Let the Oil and Gas Industry Dump its Toxic Waste in New Mexico

The oil and gas industry wants to dump its toxic waste into New Mexico’s clean water, threatening the health and safety of New Mexicans. Worse, it would set a dangerous precedent that could happen across the country.

A proposal by the state’s Oil Conservation Commission would make it easier for companies to use their toxic waste to drill and frack wells. The new rules would even open the door for the industry’s waste to be dumped on the land and discharged into streams.

We can’t let this happen! Speak out, sign the petition, and tell the New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission to put the brakes on its proposed regulations!

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Miller

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New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission

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Dear New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission,

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I urge you to put the brakes on your proposal to amend regulations regarding the use of "produced water" in New Mexico.

To begin with, the term "produced water" is misleading. You are proposing to regulate the oil and gas industry's toxic liquid waste. This is not water, it is a dangerous substance.

The proposed regulations are dangerously vague and unenforceable. The rules claim to protect public health and the environment, yet there are no standards, no criteria, no thresholds for ensuring health, safety, and the environment are actually protected. Given that this fluid is too toxic to treat, it is impossible to understand how its use could ever be safe or healthy.

Also concerning is that there is no strict definition of "produced water" that would ensure the oil and gas industry does not inappropriately classify this toxic fluid as safe or even drinkable.  The rules would also not reliably track or monitor the creation, transportation, or use of this toxic waste.

Of greatest concern is that the proposed regulations explicitly allow for the dumping and discharge of the oil and gas industry's toxic waste onto the land and into streams. This fluid is too contaminated to treat, there should be no insinuation that it is at all safe to treat it as anything but toxic waste.

New Mexico's pure, clean water should be protected, not sacrificed. I urge that if you move to adopt any new regulations, you adopt rules that:

-	Prohibit the use of fresh water during drilling and hydraulic fracturing;
-	Expressly forbid the discharge or dumping of "produced water;" and
-	Require that as "produced water" is created, transported, or used, it is regulated as a toxic and hazardous waste that is inherently dangerous and handled and disposed of accordingly.

Again, please put the brakes on your proposal to amend your regulations and instead put New Mexico's clean water, health, and environment first. Thank you.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Your Email]