Prevent the siting of a beryllium mine that would threaten springs and an acequia.

Ensure future remediation and bonding of Phelps Dodge mine (5th largest open pit mine in U.S.) in Grant County.

03/06/2009 - Freeport McMoRan filed an appeal to the decision from the Water Quality Control Commission to uphold the groundwater discharge permit requirements.

01/13/2009 - After four years of litigation, including an excursion to the NM Court of Appeals and a year of “executive session” deliberations by the NM Water Quality Control Commission, the Commission issued its decision on January 13th, 2009 regarding the groundwater discharge permit that the Environment Department (NMED) issued in 2005 to Phelps Dodge Mining Co., now Freeport McMoRan.  The decision is significant for the protection of New Mexico’s groundwater.

The permit requires that the company clean up its extensive and deep groundwater pollution, which spans two aquifers.  Two of the permit conditions require the company to regrade and cover all of the exposed tailings, waste rock and ore at the site, encompassing nearly 10,000 acres of land. After the permit was issued, Phelps Dodge sued over those permit conditions. Although it did not dispute that the piles will continue to be sources of groundwater contamination for centuries to come, the company argued that it had the right to pollute the groundwater beneath its property. 

The Commission made several important determinations that rejected the arguments presented by the company and its numerous experts.  Most importantly, the Commission stated unequivocally that land ownership and control of the land surface are not relevant to determining whether groundwater will be used in the future.  Instead, it directed the NM Environment Dept. to only consider objective factors such as aquifer characteristics, present use of water, pre-mining water quality, and reasonably foreseeable use of the groundwater at issue over a time horizon of at least the next 100 years.

Working with clients to prevent oil and gas drilling that would be detrimental to human health, and environmental and cultural resources in Mora County, the 17th poorest county in the U.S.

09/25/2009 - “Who has more say in Mora County? Citizens or Shell?“ from Drilling Santa Fe Blog.

09/01/2009 - The Law Center has submitted comments on he Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

07/31/2009 - Currently working to see if it will be possible to adapt the Santa Fe County’s drilling ordinance to Mora County.

Participate in proceeding to amend MMD’s regulations governing exploratory mining permits, in order to ensure that amendments are protective of communities and the environment.

Remediation of LAC gold mine in Ortiz Mountains.

July 2009 - We are continuing to monitor the settlement.