Mothers and grandmothers from the Permian Basin have voiced their concerns regarding proposed legislation that could impact oil and gas operations near schools. The group, led by Jennifer Grassham, President & CEO of EDCLC in Hobbs, NM, expressed their opposition to House Bill 35 (HB 35), introduced by Rep. Debbie Sariñana. The bill seeks to establish a 1-mile setback for oil and gas production from schools.
The women argue that accusations suggesting they are endangering their children by living close to such operations are unfounded. "This is not only scientifically inaccurate but wildly inappropriate," they stated in response to claims made during a recent committee debate.
Rep. Sariñana, who has past ties to Carlsbad, NM, through her student teaching experience, was reminded by the group of the community's pride and protective nature towards their children. They emphasized existing local ordinances already address setbacks adequately.
A previous study by NMED and EPA found 60% of monitored facilities were non-compliant with regulations—a figure deemed unacceptable by the mothers. However, they criticized Rep. Sariñana for allegedly misrepresenting this data as applying to 70% of the entire industry.
"Facts matter," they asserted, urging policymakers to avoid using selective data for political narratives. They appealed directly to Rep. Sariñana: "Mother to mother, we ask that you please stop accusing us of placing our children in harm’s way."
The letter concluded with a plea for New Mexico legislators to heed local residents' perspectives over those from distant lawmakers.
