Water

Learn how to reduce your Carbon footprint and volunteer to train others to do the same. The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) is offering an 11 week course on Climate Change and Sustainability. The dates are from September 22 - December 8, 2010 and the class will be held in Albuquerque, NM.

Course participants are provided 30 hours of training, and in turn they "pay back" the program through volunteer service.

web site for general description of New Mexico Climate Masters

Santa Fe – August 6 - Speaking through 13 of New Mexico’s most representative advocacy groups, New Mexicans are asking Governor Richardson to support strong, Federal regulation of Coal Combustion Waste (CCW). New Mexico ranks 10th in the nation for CCW production with an amazing 6.8 million tons dumped from coal fired electric power generation in San Juan and McKinley Counties annually.

The pace of the Lower Rio Grande Adjudication has accelerated in recent weeks and a major issue that had both delayed moving forward on the four Stream Issues previously defined by the Court and which led to a very unpopular attempt at “mediation” among a subset of the parties appears to have been resolved.

Rain Water Harvesting is all about capturing and storing rainfall to irrigate plants or to supply people and animals. It is one of the oldest known gardening watering methods, dating back to the beginnings of agriculture. Water harvesting methods are still used by the Tohono O'odham and Hopi tribes, who traditionally plant after the onset of summer and winter rains.

New Mexico suffers the polluting effects of Combustion Coal Waste (CCW) from coal fired electrical generation in San Juan County where the toxics bearing ‘fly ash’ has been dumped in unlined strip mines that formerly produced coal. Send an e-mail to the EPA demanding strong controls.

June 8, 2010 - Santa Fe: In an unexpected and dangerous reversal of Environment Department decisions, the New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC) approved the discharge permit for the proposed 2,000 head ParaSol Dairy in Sierra County. The WQCC is the State’s highest administrative water quality authority.

Louise Pape, Vice Chair of the Sustainable Santa Fe Commission and Sierra Club member, has created a website that explains how to reduce personal water consumption to ten gallons per day. Check it out.

Ten Gallons a Day by Louise Pape

On April 21st, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit finally issued its ruling involving a crucial issue for Endangered Species Act (ESA) "consultations" on federal water project operations, and federal agency activities in general.

“One of the Largest Illegal Open Dumps in the Nation” Dangerously Polluting Water Supplies in Region

(Farmington, NM) - April 8, 2010 - The Sierra Club took action today to stop the disposal of millions of tons of toxic coal combustion waste each year in unlined pits at the San Juan Coal Mine, and to compel the clean up of previously disposed waste that continues to leach toxic pollutants into the surrounding ground and surface water.

The March Monthly Report for the Lower Rio Grande Basin Adjudication was filed March 4, 2010 by Jerald A. Valentine, the Presiding Judge