New Mexico Environmental Law Center is a non profit, public interest law firm that provides free and low-cost legal services on environmental matters throughout New Mexico. Founded in 1987, the Law Center works with clients — often individuals, neighborhood associations, environmental organizations, Tribes and Pueblos — seeking to protect the environment.
The New Mexico Environmental Law Center's mission is to protect New Mexico's natural environment and achieve environmental justice for New Mexico's communities through legal representation, policy advocacy and public education.
The Law Center's effective legal advocacy and representation on environmental and environmental justice issues will protect New Mexico's communities and cultures, and ensure clean air, land and water for all.
The work of the Law Center is made possible by tax-deductible contributions from individuals, business, foundations and limited earned income.
Douglas Meiklejohn, Executive Director, dmeiklejohn at nmelc.org
Jonathan Block, Staff Attorney, jblock at nmelc.org
Bruce Frederick, Staff Attorney, bfrederick at nmelc.org
Eric Jantz, Staff Attorney, ejantz at nmelc.org
Elizabeth Lee, Director of Philanthropy, elee at nmelc.org
Shelbie Knox, Development Officer, shelbie at nmelc.org
Juana Colón, Communications & Public Education Officer, jcolon at nmelc.org
Yana Merrill, Director of Administration & Finance, ymerrill at nmelc.org
The Board of Directors governs the Law Center, establishes policy, hires the Executive Director, and determines which cases the Law Center will handle. The members of the Board, their date of association, their occupations, and affiliations are:
Stuart Bluestone, President, 2007, Santa Fe
Mr. Bluestone has held senior positions in New Mexico State Government for over 20 years, including being the Chief Deputy Attorney General for over eight years. Mr. Bluestone is currently semi-retired and serves part-time as the Attorney General's Senior Counsel.
Frank Sanchez, Vice-President, 1994, Roswell
Mr. Sanchez is a Program Officer for the Needmor Fund. He is a nationally recognized community organizer on civil rights and environmental issues in New Mexico.
Harry Browne, M.A, Treasurer, 2010, Silver City
Harry is the business manager at the Aldo Leopold High School. He was the Executive Director at the Gila Resources Information Project in Silver City for eight years during which he worked to require the Freeport McMoran (formerly Phelps Dodge) mining company to address environmental degradation caused by its massive copper mines in Grant County. He brings to the board his expertise in mining issues and non-profit administration.
Eileen Gauna, Secretary, 2011, Albuquerque
Professor Gauna teaches courses in environmental law, environmental justice, climate law and energy law at the University of New Mexico. Professor Gauna regularly speaks on environmental law issues, has testified before the Congressional Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security, and spoke at the White House Forum on Environmental Justice in 2010.
Myron Armijo, 2007, Santa Ana Pueblo
Mr. Amijo is the former Governor of Santa Ana Pueblo. He currently works for the State Engineer's office of New Mexico.
Diana Bustamante, Ph.D., 2005, La Mesa
Ms. Bustamante is Director of the Doña Anna County Colonias Development Council. She brings to the board expertise in Chicano history and culture, race and ethnic relations, community organizing and experience in non-profit management.
Michael Casaus, 2010, Albuquerque
Michael is the New Mexico State Director for The Wilderness Society. He has worked for several New Mexico organizations on clean energy, environmental and economic justice issues. He provides the board with his experience in advocacy and environmental campaigning.
Susanne Hoffman-Dooley, 2004, Santa Fe
Ms. Hoffman-Dooley works for the Office of the State Engineer, and now heads the Active Water Resource Management regulations project for that office. She brings with her expertise in water law and water issues.
Donna House, 2005, Alcalde
Ms. House is a Botanist/Ethnobotanist consultant to Indigenous organizations and communities. She was a key designer of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, has consulted many of the top 10 green NGOs and Native Nations. She is an active advocate on Native American and environmental justice issues.
Renee Ingold, 2001, Cerrillos
Ms. Ingold met the Law Center when she became involved in the citizen movement to demand clean-up of the LAC Gold Mine in the Ortiz Mountains. She is a charter member of Rachel's Network, a national women's environmental organization.
Paul Mitchell, 2012, Las Cruces
Mr. Mitchell is currently a semi-retired CPA and founding former partner of the CPA firm Beasley & Mitchell & Co. in Las Cruces. He brings with him expertise in accounting and finance along with a love for the environment. He has been a founding board member and treasurer of not-for-profit boards as well as a long time supporter of the Law Center.
Leona Morgan, 2011
Leona Morgan is the Coordinator for Eastern Navajo Diné Against Uranium Mining (ENDAUM) which was established in 1994 to address the proposals by HRI. ENDAUM's leadership comes from Crownpoint, Churchrock and other Navajo communities in the Eastern Agency of the Navajo Nation
Alice van Buren, 2009, Santa Fe
Ms. van Buren is a writer and arts organizer, with a background in journalism, teaching and art. Having met the Law Center through her work to protect the Galisteo Basin from oil and gas drilling, she now shares her talents for fundraising and communications.
The Forest Service could issue its approval this year, the newspaper reports… And once that happens, hoo-boy, is New Mexico in for an economic bonanza — the likes of which DeJoia can’t even describe to a reporter:
“I won’t run you through all the economics on that, but you can rest assured there is an awful lot of income tax paid on that,” he said. “There are a lot of New Mexico taxes in there.”
Thanks for sparing us the numbers. Nobody wants to be thinking hard when we could just be mindlessly digging for short-term profits. Grist.org
Go to Grist.org for full story.
But a coalition of organizations, including several Native American groups and an organization of former uranium miners, contends that a mining operation would imperil the area’s water supply and its quality. The group also believes it would severely impact an area designated by the Forest Service as a traditional cultural property that has great spiritual significance for indigenous people across the Southwest…
[Staff Attorney] Jantz said water pumped from the mine could result in significant drawdowns of surface water and springs. There is also concern that waste piles and toxic heavy-metal materials could make their way into ground and surface water, he said. Alamogordo Daily News
Go to Alamogordo Daily News for full story.
SANTA FE, N.M. - Today, the New Mexico Environmental Law Center (NMELC) filed a request for a public hearing regarding a proposed permit revision to put the Mt. Taylor uranium mine on active status. The mine, near Grants, NM, has been inactive (on “standby” status) without cleanup for 23 years. The mine’s owner, Rio Grande Resources, received a fourth renewal for the standby permit in January 2012, but on April 12, 2013 it notified the public it was seeking a revision to change the mine’s status to “active”. The NMELC filed the hearing request on behalf of its clients, Amigos Bravos and the Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment (MASE).
Go to case page.
SANTA FE, N.M. - The New Mexico Court of Appeals struck down an effort by the Martinez Administration to repeal regulations favorable to the environment and reinstated the state’s energy efficiency building codes.
The energy codes, adopted before Governor Martinez came into office, were repealed by the State Construction Industries Commission in the summer of 2011. The New Mexico Environmental Law Center (NMELC) appealed the Commission’s move on seven grounds, including that the Commission failed to state the reasons for its decision as is required of all administrative agencies. The Court of Appeals agreed, and reversed the Commission’s decision. (Get PDF of Court of Appeals ruling)
Visit Repeal of Energy Efficient Building Codes case page
