Athena Christodoulou Senate District 21 | Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter
Community groups have expressed approval following the Sandoval County Planning and Zoning Commission's recommendation to reject SandRidge Energy Inc.'s application to drill an exploratory oil well. These groups are advocating for a moratorium on all oil and gas extraction until ordinances are established to safeguard community health, air, water, and other resources.
Residents of Sandoval County participated actively in the discussions, with hundreds attending committee hearings and over 1,000 signing a petition against the special-use permit for drilling in a residential area.
Eleanor Bravo, a local resident and Organizer for Food & Water Watch, commented on the situation: “While this is a positive signal that the county commission will reject this ill-advised request, more fracking applications are likely to come, and the county isn’t prepared to deal with the consequences of oil and gas fracking here. We support a moratorium on any new well permits until lawmakers can put in place stringent legislation to protect groundwater and air quality.”
Mariel Nanasi, Executive Director of New Energy Economy, also praised the decision: “Sandoval County Planning & Zoning acted responsibly in voting to reject SandRidge’s re-zoning request. Our best bet for economic development is investment in renewables rather than fracking from companies on the cusp of defaults and bankruptcy. Why would New Mexicans want to bank on companies that are over-leveraged and have a track record of poisoning our air and water? We wouldn’t.”
Dan Lorimier from the Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club highlighted how SandRidge Energy's application has prompted necessary evaluations: “Sandridge Energy’s zoning variance application turns out to be the stimulus for Sandoval County to make a careful examination and comprehensive set of rules to guide their decisions on gas and oil exploration and development permits.” He added that without existing ordinances protecting residents' health or addressing issues like increased traffic or noise pollution from such operations, "a temporary moratorium offers the opportunity to seek public input and develop and implement these safeguards."
Fracking involves injecting high-pressure chemically laced fluid into wells to release oil or gas from rock formations. This process has been linked with groundwater pollution nationwide, as well as an increase in earthquakes due to waste fluid injection.
