I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Turner on Monday filed a temporary restraining order against Governor Bill Richardson, saying he hoped that move would halt the state’s plans to administratively cut greenhouse gas emissions from facilities such as coal- and natural gas-fired power plants, refineries and oil and gas compressor stations.
While in the process of finding a judge to sign the order on Monday afternoon, Turner was unavailable for comment, but his campaign released this statement:
“Forcing through this regulation will unnecessarily burden working New Mexicans and severely hurt our energy industry, which has already suffered from this Governor’s abuse of administrative processes. I’m filing this order on behalf of all New Mexicans. The Governor’s proposal makes no sense since the federal government is still grappling with national cap-and-trade regulation. He’s got the cart before the horse.”
Turner’s motion argues that the federal government has not established national cap and trade regulations. The motion also states that the issue is one that should be addressed by the New Mexico Legislature and not by administrative process, after the federal government passes or rejects nation-wide regulations.
“This restraining order is not about the science of greenhouse gases,” continued Turner, “it is about preventing the further abuse of power and destruction of the economic engines of our state’s economy. New Mexicans deserve to be represented by their legislative lawmakers on this issue. Ramming regulations through by administrative process is an abuse of executive office. He already hindered our energy industry by forcing through the amendment to the Pit Rule, and he should not be allowed to do it again.”
In the face of federal inaction on the regulation of greenhouse gases, states like New Mexico are considering their own rules to cut emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride.
In 2005, Richardson ordered the state to lower its greenhouse gas emissions—to meet 2000 levels by 2012, ten percent below 2000 levels by 2020 and 75 percent below 2000 levels by 2050. Two years later, Richardson singed a memorandum of understanding creating the Western Climate Initiative; its objective is to establish a regional market-based emissions reduction program.
Now, the New Mexico Environment Department is asking the state’s Environmental Improvement Board to grant it the authority to create a statewide program that would allow the state to set an overall cap on emissions, then create allowances or credits that polluters can then buy, sell or trade. In theory, a cap and trade program reduces emissions: The state establishes the initial number of allowances based on actual emissions. Then, the cap is decreased each year.
The public comment period for that rule was extended through April 16, and initial hearings will be held in Santa Fe, beginning on June 21, according to the commission’s Joyce Medina. Additional hearings will be held in September.
