Athena Christodoulou Senate District 21 | Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter
For Immediate Release
Community members in the Greater Chaco region have taken action against fracking by placing signs along U.S. 550 in Counselor, New Mexico. These signs aim to express their opposition to the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) ongoing oil and gas leasing near their homes.
The messages on the signs include statements such as "Entering Energy Sacrifice Zone," "We Are Greater Chaco," and "Extraction Threatens Our Health and Safety." The community feels that despite significant public opposition, the BLM continues to prioritize oil and gas development without adequate tribal consultation or updating its resource management plan.
Recently, an unprecedented 459 protest comments were submitted against a lease sale planned for March 8. However, these concerns have not deterred the BLM from issuing over 400 new drilling permits, including some near Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Although this particular lease sale has been deferred, residents still face issues like dust pollution from truck traffic and health problems related to industrialized fracking activities.
