Nearly every environmental problem in this state involves water, so nearly all of the Law Center's cases have involved the protection of water in one way or another. We deal with both degradation of water resources and the shortage of water for the population of New Mexico.
In Questa, the Molycorp mine case is a land issue-or is it? Over 239 slurry spills have flowed into the Red River during the past three decades, in addition to the omnipresent acid mine drainage that coats the riverbed with aluminum and lowers the pH of the water to an uninhabitable level for microorganisms, insects and fish.
Why was water such a key issue in the Law Center's work for more stringent regulations of the Sunland Park landfill? Because trash doesn't merely sit quietly once buried…it becomes alive, breathing methane and breaking down into a thick chemical stew made from Big Mac wrappers and toilet bowl cleaners-anything that is thrown away. This stew can then leak into groundwater if the landfill is not properly sealed. New Mexico growth also points back to water.
Until the twenty-first century, humans have been able to conquer
the desert with water pulled from rivers and aquifers. However
we have now allocated our river water, and are quickly depleting
our aquifers. Las Cruces, where the population continues to
grow despite evidence that points to the fact that the city
will outgrow its water resources by 2025, will be the first
city in New Mexico to experience the permanent, severe shortage
of water. However, Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and Santa Fe, will
not be far behind.
Since 1987, we have worked with community groups,
neighborhood associations, Native American tribes and pueblos
and non-profit groups to ensure that this ever-dwindling resource
is protected from degradation. In addition to litigation, Law
Center staff have lobbied long and hard to pass water-friendly
legislation and we have worked with regulators to help them become
better defenders of our water. |
