Santa Fe, NM –New Mexico State Senator Benny Shendo Jr. (D-22 Bernalillo McKinley, Rio Arriba, San Juan & Sandoval), introduced Senate Memorial 29 (SM29) seeking to uncover the true costs to taxpayers and the environment of oil and gas flaring in the state.
Over the past five years, New Mexico oil and gas operations have led the nation in requests to flare or vent gasses into the atmosphere royalty free. Nearly 45 percent of all nationwide requests to flare in this manner have come from New Mexico-based operations. Some have argued this has led to the Delaware-sized methane cloud recently discovered over the Four Corners region by NASA.
In addition, many have expressed concern that these activities in Northwest New Mexico threaten to degrade sacred Native American sites, such as Chaco Canyon, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
“I have always been a strong supporter of the rights of sovereign, tribal governments to develop energy for the benefit of their people,” said Sen. Shendo, who is a member of Jemez Pueblo, and whose State Senate district includes Chaco Canyon and portions of Northwest New Mexico where some of this energy development is happening. “But there are some places that are far too precious for development – and the Chaco Canyon region is one of them.”
In addition, Sen. Shendo said he sponsored the memorial because he believes taxpayers also deserve a true accounting of what they are losing when natural resources are flared off instead of captured and used.
Some estimates indicate that the state has lost out on an estimated $42.7 million in royalty revenue since 2009 due to increased wasted natural gas through royalty-free flaring and venting.
“Other states, such as Colorado, have successfully created rules to recapture and use this resource, and by investigating the issue here, perhaps we too can approach this wasteful practice in a more responsible manner,” Shendo said. “Our taxpayers and tribal landowners deserve nothing less than the truth about how much we are losing through flaring.”
The memorial calls on the departments of Finance and Administration, Environment, Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources, and Indian Affairs, to study the costs of this practice.