Drilling / Mining

By Mary Katherine Ray

When last we visited the Beryllium deposit near Monticello Box and the historic Warm Springs, Be Resouces Inc., the mining company looking to extract that Beryllium, had been granted permission to drill 12 more of 20 exploratory bore holes for which they had asked. Every new bore hole creates a risk to the groundwater and spring flows in this special place where, no matter how intense the drought, there is always precious water. The Mining and Minerals Division had refused permission for the remaining holes, including one that would have been thousands of feet deep, over concerns that they posed “significant” environmental impact that would warrant more public involvement and scrutiny.

By Lora Lucero

Tim DeChristopher admits that he didn’t really plan to purchase 22,000 acres near Moab and the Canyon Lands National Park in Utah when he entered the oil and gas auction on Dec. 17, 2008.

By Kathleen Dudley
Co-founder, Drilling Mora County

In July 2009, during a public community meeting on oil/gas development in Mora County, a Royal Dutch Shell spokesperson stated they would drill here in 2010. Whether that was a threat, an act of intimidation, or a hope on the part of SWEPI, a Denver-based Shell subsidiary, is unknown. But today, there has been no movement by the oil industry to apply for permits in Mora County. And no drilling is taking place.

Beryllium exploration continues at Monticello Box

By Mary Katherine Ray, Chapter Wildlife Chair

The Monticello Box and Warm Springs are under renewed threat from beryllium mining yet again.

After completing the strongly opposed five exploratory bore holes on the hills directly south of the Box, the company seeking to profit from the beryllium deposit asked for a permit modification to add 19 bore holes to its exploration. These new holes would be to depths of several hundred feet, except for one that would be to 3,500 feet—much deeper than any bore hole yet.

“Mora County will be the first county in the United States to put baseline water testing in place on private land prior to natural-gas development in their county.”

Baseline Water Well Testing Completed for Mora County: Las Vegas Basin Property Owners

In December 2010, Drilling Mora County completed a baseline water-well sampling and testing protocol on a number of private and community drinking water wells that traverse the Las Vegas Basin area east to west and north to south on land that has either been leased for natural gas drilling or near leased land.

My friend Lance passed away this November from pancreatic cancer. Although not many of us here in the Rio Grande Chapter knew Lance, he has left behind a legacy that may help us in our pursuit of a sustainable-energy future.

In the first weeks after the oil platform “Deepwater Horizon” sank in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana, the standard “Drill, baby, drill” Republican mantra was notably absent. As the biggest environmental disaster in American history unfolded, perhaps even the staunchest ultra-right-wingers realized, as a matter of their own self-interest, that it was not the best time to push for more oil drilling-—in the lower 48, in Alaska or offshore. Perhaps they feared an anti-conservative backlash, as Americans saw at first hand the risks of our addiction to petroleum.

Two northeastern New Mexico counties continue to try to navigate the uncharted territory of oil and gas exploration. San Miguel County Commission voted and signed into law a one-year oil and gas moratorium in winter 2010. The Las Vegas City Council doubled that protection, and enacted a two-year moratorium in May.

A fierce counter to New Mexico State Land Commissioner Patrick Lyons’ White Peak “land swap” with local ranchers in Mora County took front page in New Mexico newspapers this past winter. Today, that deal lies in the hands of the New Mexico Supreme Court after the Attorney General intervened, but not without unprecedented efforts on the part of citizens who believe White Peak is land of the people, not a chosen few.

Two northeastern New Mexico counties continue to carve difficult paths through the uncharted territory of oil and gas exploration. San Miguel County Commission voted and signed into law a one-year oil and gas moratorium in winter, 2010. The Las Vegas City Council doubled that protection, and enacted a two-year moratorium in May.