New Mexico State legislators ultimately tabled a bill to clean up the San Juan Generating Station, saying it needs more clarification and will be revisited once it’s amended.
House Bill 142 sponsored by State Rep. Anthony Allison (D-Fruitland) is intended to make sure no dangerous materials are leaking out to the surrounding community.
“I am bringing this legislation to require an independent, comprehensive assessment and cleanup of the San Juan Generating Station and its affiliated mine site,” Allison said during a discussion with lawmakers, according to KRQE News.
The city of Farmington shut down the San Juan Generating Station last December after more than 50 years in operation, and it remains a source of concern to advocates for a clean environment.
“The cleanup that is required by this bill is the bare minimum,” Earth Care New Mexico organizer Sofia Jenkins-Nieto told lawmakers of House Bill 142. “New Mexico communities deserve accountability. They deserve clean air and water, and they don’t deserve health problems as a sacrifice for coal generation empowering our cities.”
HB 142 would provide $700,000 to the state’s Environment and the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources departments to ensure the generating station does not release toxins into the environment. The bill, if passed, would require the two departments to determine if there is any contamination of land or waterways and prevent off-site pollution. The findings must be presented to lawmakers no later than April 2024.
“Cleanup plan required in this bill will ensure that toxic metal contaminants don’t leach into the ground and leak into waterways or otherwise harm the public, animals or agriculture, and cause negative public health consequences,” Allison said, according to KRQE News.
HB 142 also requires owners of the generating station to prioritize hiring its previous employees, as well as other New Mexicans for the cleanup. The bill would authorize anyone impacted by the pollution or the attorney general to use the findings of the investigation to pursue civil or criminal charges.
