The Biden administration recently announced it would be imposing a fifty-year ban on new mining and oil and gas drilling projects across thousands of acres in New Mexico. This decision comes as part of the White House’s commitment to promoting clean energy sources.
The affected area covers approximately nine thousand acres of public land in Eddy, Lea and Chaves counties. According to the New Mexico Bureau of Land Management, the land has been essential habitat for wildlife and provides opportunities for recreation such as hunting, birding, and other activities.
The announcement goes further to address potential environmental issues, specifying that additional regulations surrounding the use of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” will be made. The administration also instructed the Bureau of Land Management to evaluate the potential health risks associated with the practice and suggest solutions for eliminating those risks.
Environmentalists are heralding the ban as a step in the right direction, hoping it will inspire other states to enact similar policies of their own. “It’s encouraging that the Biden administration has taken this decisive action to protect public lands in the Southwest,” said Kay Matthews, an activist from the Southwest Organizing Project. “It shows that they are committed to safeguarding our environment and moving the country towards a clean energy future.”
The announcement has its critics as well, with some industry leaders arguing that it will stifle economic growth and prosperity in the state. New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham responded to these concerns, arguing that, “… this action underscores the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to creating jobs in the clean energy space while also protecting public health, safety, community and cultural resources by thwarting attempts to extend the horizon of oil and gas production onto our precious New Mexican lands.”
The fifty-year ban is a significant victory for environmentalists, and many are hopeful this is just the beginning of more comprehensive measures to protect public lands in the region.
