Action Alert: We need you in Farmington, New Mexico on Tuesday, February 16!

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing to update its regulations to address the wasteful release of natural gas into the atmosphere from oil and gas operations on public and American Indian lands.

There will be a public hearing to weigh in on the proposal in Farmington on Tuesday, February 16th at 1:00 pm.  Can we count on you to come?

Date: February 16, 2016
Time: 1 p.m. 
Location: San Juan College, Room 7103, 
4601 College Blvd.,
Farmington, NM87402

You must RSVP no later than February 10 to blm_wo_og_comments@blm.gov and specify which meeting you will be attending. 

The proposed rules will:

• Help curb waste. In 2014, New Mexico’s oil and gas producers reported wasting more than 180,000 metric tons of methane -- enough to heat more than 168,000 homes each year. Wasting resources contradicts our values of conserving and respecting what the land provides for us.

• Provide a fair return on public resources for federal taxpayers, Tribes, and States. A report commissioned by the Environmental Defense Fund found that New Mexico ranks number 1 in lost gas revenue – an estimated $100 million each year. That means New Mexicans are missing out on millions of dollars in royalties that could have gone to things like schools and infrastructure.

• Reduce harmful air pollution. Methane creates smog which harms lungs – increasing asthma attacks, aggravating lung diseases, and much more. Already Latinos are three times more likely to die from asthma than any other racial or ethnic group.

Methane leaking and flaring contradicts our culture and disproportionately impacts our health. It’s time for Latino voices to be heard!  If you have questions about this process or what you should say, please email info@hechoonline.org and we’ll get right back to you!   Please share this important information with friends and family, especially those who live in our near Farmington and may be able to attend this hearing.