Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter

New EPA Rule Gives Oil, Gas Firms More Time to Fix Equipment Leaking Methane The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday finalized a rule granting oil and gas operators more than a year in additional time to comply with mandates set by former President Joe Biden to replac...

NM proved strong methane rules work. But EPA’s delay forces communities to carry the health burden while Texas refuses to #CutMethane. This isn’t a harmless pause — it means more carcinogens, more smog-forming pollution, and more methane when we can least afford it

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Senate Republicans blocked a resolution to stop the harmful delay of 2023 federal methane rules—leaving NM exposed to another yr of unchecked o&g pollution from TX sidelining public input from NM volunteer in the process.

We await the final rule—and will keep fighting 4 clean air & climate justice.

creating unnecessary chaos for industry as most companies were already prepared to comply THIS year. Ultimately harming the economic competitiveness American companies in a world seeking cleaner energy solutions.

Senate upholds Trump administration methane rule Two Democrats sought to challenge the rule under the Congressional Review Act.

Thank you Senators Heinrich and Luján for voting to stop the delay of methane protections. Delaying EPA oil and gas pollution will increase health damaging pollution putting those who live and work closest to oil and gas infrastructure at risk while

#CutMethane

www.eenews.net/articles/sen...

Please check out and forward two positions we have open at the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter!

Search: Rio Grande Chapter: Chapter Coordinator & Communications

www.sierraclub.org/careers-jobs...

Sierra Club: Rio Grande Chapter | Albuquerque NM Sierra Club: Rio Grande Chapter, Albuquerque. 3,860 likes · 55 talking about this · 31 were here. Our Albuquerque office is open Monday through Friday 10am-3pm.

For years, advocates and impacted community members have called on federal agencies to protect the cultural integrity of the Greater Chaco landscape and community well-being from fracking. We won't back down now.

“The Trump administration is weaponizing the government shutdown to gut staffing, weaken environmental protections, and normalize their ultimate goal of privatizing public lands,” writes @jackieostfeld.bsky.social in @thehill.com .

thehill.com/opinion/ener...

Save the Date! Rio Grande Chapter Appreciation Pot Luck
Sat, Dec 6, 2025; 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM (Mountain) Albuquerque.

NM's first community solar project went online in Valencia County last week. The 35 Megawatt project near Belen will offset the energy usage of 2,000 Homes and benefit lower income electric utility customers. www.abqjournal.com/business/art...
www.kob.com/new-mexico/f...

Defend Environmental Protections to Cut Methane Methane is responsible for at least 25% of the warming we experience. Fortunately, last year, the EPA passed protections to cut methane pollution. But the Trump admin is dragging their feet. Demand ...

The planet’s heating up — and so is the deadline. ⏰ Last day to tell @EPA: no more delays on the 2024 methane rule.

Delay threatens health, wastes resources, and takes us backwards on #CutMethane.

📢 Comment now: sc.org/methane

#ProtectOurKids #CleanAir #ClimateCrisis

Still a long way to go to meet our goals & industry commitments but this is good progress!

It's sad to see Texan’s air unprotected by their state & our communities exposed to pollution that doesn't respect borders

Thankfully NM takes the safety and the climate's needs of our communities seriously.

Env & community groups working yrs to help the state make nation- leading methane & smog rules against all odds while some operators sued to stop them. Now thanks to leadership of the gov & her agencies in enforcing the rules, we see real pollution reductions.

act.sierraclub.org/events/detai...

Calling all NM local+tribal governments:
The Community Energy Efficiency Development (CEED) program has $15 million to fund #energyefficiency projects in underserved communities that reduce energy use, lower utility bills, and cut pollution. Apply by 9/25. emnrd.nm.gov/ecmd/ceed

We're moving offices. One of the movers saw this picture and said, "That's beautiful, too bad it's bone dry. People are riding their dune buggies on that." Water is scarce because of climate change. And now Trump is stopping climate action. Watch Americans speak out: usepa.zoomgov.com/j/1612886000

Housing Gaps and Pollution in NM After Fed Shifts - New Mexico In Focus This week on New Mexico in Focus, we zero-in on two pressing issues facing our state: a housing crisis and threats to our air, water and soil.  Late last month, President Donald Trump’s Environmental ...

Check out our Chapter Director, @camillafeibelman.bsky.social, on New Mexico in Focus on the Trump gutting of greenhouse regulations and protections. www.newmexicopbs.org/productions/...

Abandon wells should do no harm Right now, hundreds of these wells are already abandoned, and thousands more are dangerously close.

The bottom line is: If you make a mess, you should clean it up. This rule change will give #NMPol the necessary tools to reduce O&G well abandonment costs ($100M so far in NM and counting) falling on the public.

Here's an op-ed on this topic from Camilla Feibelman of @sierrariogrande.bsky.social:

🚨 What’s an abandoned well?

It’s an oil or gas well that’s been abandoned by the company that drilled it — and now leaks methane, threatens our water, and puts the public at risk.

Learn what they are and why it matters: westernlaw.org/keepnmenchan...

New Mexico Bonding Reform - Western Environmental Law Center

💸 Oil corporations walk away. New Mexicans are stuck with the bill. The average cost to plug a well is $163,000. Some corporations only post $105 in bonds.

See what abandoned wells really mean for our communities:
👉 westernlaw.org/keepnmenchan...

New Mexico Bonding Reform - Western Environmental Law Center

🚨 What’s an abandoned well?

It’s an oil or gas well that’s been abandoned by the company that drilled it — and now leaks methane, threatens our water, and puts the public at risk.

Learn what they are and why it matters: westernlaw.org/keepnmenchan...

Thank Gov. Lujan Grisham and AG Torrez for fighting for Clean Cars and Trucks! Send your message today!

Today, @RioGrandeSierra is thanking @GovMLG & @TorrezforNM for continuing to fight for Clean Cars and Trucks and healthier air for New Mexicans to breathe.
It’s time to charge forward on life-saving clean transportation policies, not back down.

sc.org/402AAqt

Thank you Senator Ben Ray Luján for your efforts to save the Methane Emissions Reduction Program and protect New Mexican from this toxic air pollution that costs our state tax dollars thru the methane polluter fee. #CutMethane

www.congress.gov/amendment/11...

Advocates: Mount Cristo Rey wall will worsen migrant deaths, erosion, habitat loss • Source New Mexico A U.S. Customs and Border Protection proposal for a wall on Mt. Cristo Rey in Sunland Park threatens the area, local conservation groups say.

“It is pretty disheartening to see,” Antoinette Reyes told Source NM. “By blocking off that section, which is already steep and difficult terrain as is, it forces people to go into more dangerous portions of the border to cross.”

sourcenm.com/2025/07/02/a...

Time & time again, companies make empty promises to #CutMethane. Instead of holding them accountable to meet reasonable, industry-set targets, the Senate just gave them a get out of jail free card by delaying the methane polluter fee by 10 years.

Time & time again, companies make empty promises to #CutMethane. Instead of holding them accountable to meet reasonable, industry-set targets, the Senate just gave them a get out of jail free card by delaying the methane polluter fee by 10 years.

Yes! People power for the win!

The Senate parliamentarian has ruled Lee’s latest lands-selloff bill in order :(
We can still stop it. At least one R senator has requested an amendment vote to strip it.
— Text “not for sale” to 69866 or go to sc.org/NotForSale or call (855) 980-5638
— Share & tag your senators!
@schiff.senate.gov

Provisions Subject to a 60-Vote Byrd Rule Point of Order Energy and Natural Resources NEPA compliance. These provisions deem offshore oil and gas projects as automatically compliant with the National Environmental Policy Act, nullifying these projects' environmental review processes. (Subsection 102(b)(4) and Subsection 102(b)(5)) Offshore oil and gas leasing. This subsection requires leases to be issued to successful bidders within 90 days after the lease sale. (Subsection 102(b)(6)) Ambler Road. This section requires the Secretary of the Interior to permit construction of Ambler Road, a controversial mining road in Alaska. (Section 201) Mandatory public land sales. This section mandates the unprecedented sale of millions of acres of public land, including from both Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service lands. (Section 301)

Renewable energy fees. This subsection removes the Secretary of the Interior's discretion to reduce fees for solar and wind projects on Bureau of Land Management land. (Subsection 303(e)) Geothermal leasing and royalties. These sections require the Secretary of the Interior to hold yearly geothermal lease sales and purport to change how geothermal royalties are calculated. (Section 305 and Section 306) Natural gas exports and imports. This section creates a pay-to-play regime for natural gas exports, allowing natural gas exporters to pay a fee to have their project be deemed "in the public interest," which is a requirement for approval. (Section 401)

HUGE: Senate Parliamentarian says that Mike Lee's public land sell-off violates the Byrd rule, requires 60 votes in the Senate. A bunch of other terrible anti-environment provisions do too.

This isn't over, but this is a huge win.

www.budget.senate.gov/ranking-memb...

California Will Not Waver in Defending Itself from Federal Overreach: Attorney General Bonta Sues Trump Administration for Attack on California’s Clean Vehicles Program LOS ANGELES – California Attorney General Rob Bonta, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and the California Air Resources Board today led a coalition of 10 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against ...

Thx AG Raul Torrez ‪@nmdoj.bsky.social for joining ten other AGs to sue the Trump Administration for its illegal attacks on life-saving clean air @govmlg.bsky.social standards. We need to do everything we can to cut deadly tailpipe pollution in our neighborhoods oag.ca.gov/news/press-r...

80+ Groups Demand BLM Halt Trump-Era Public Lands Giveaway Coalition of Frontline, Tribal, Scientific, and Local Leaders Oppose January 2026 Oil and Gas Lease Sale in New Mexico and Oklahoma

Since 2015, groups have protested quarterly lease sales and delivered more than 2 million public comments to the Bureau of Land Management calling for an end to new oil and and gas leasing on public lands in New Mexico.
#NotForSale #handsoff

wildearthguardians.org/press-releas...

Every day we delay strong federal methane standards, is another day that the oil and gas industry’s pollution is poisoning the air that people breathe.

Our leaders in #NewMexico must continue to maintain, enforce, and update our strong safeguards against methane pollution.

#CutMethane