Latest news with #HouseBill140
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New Mexico files new lawsuit against US Air Force over PFAS contamination
Firefighters with the 27th Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron test hose water pressure before an exercise Aug. 14, 2015, at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M. In January, New Mexico environment officials cited the base for a spill of wastewater containing firefighting foam with PFAS which soaked into the aquifer after a retaining pond leaked. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexx Mercer) The New Mexico environment and Department of Justice on Monday announced a new lawsuit against the U.S. Department of the Air Force seeking redress for PFAS contamination at Cannon Air Force Base near Clovis. Specifically, as delineated in a news release, the suit aims to order the Air Force to: end all use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam at Cannon for anything other than emergency purposes provide water treatment systems to residents whose water has been affected by PFAS contamination install drinking water lines for any willing residents currently serviced by private wells in the spill area hold regular public meetings with the community install stormwater controls and retention basins to prevent offsite migration of PFAS from contaminated media evaluate nearby private property affected by PFAS contamination compensate the owners of such property for losses resulting from PFAS contamination Per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances – aka PFAS – are a class of thousands of manmade chemicals used in waterproofing. They are in everyday items such as cookware or takeout containers and also in fire-fighting foams for aircraft. But the chemicals' resistance to breaking down from exposure to water, heat and sunlight mean that they are accumulating in the soil and water and in the bodies of animals and people. Health officials have linked PFAS to health risks such as decreased fertility, immune system damage, lower vaccine effectiveness and increased cancer risks. In January, New Mexico environment officials issued a nearly $68,000-dollar fine to the Cannon U.S. Air Force Base Tuesday, stating the military had failed to immediately report a 4,000-gallon spill of PFAS into the groundwater in August. Cannon appealed the fine in February. The new lawsuit follows the enactment of House Bill 140 following the most recent legislative session, which expanded the state's authority to require cleanup of PFAS. Specifically, New Mexico has argued PFAS was subject to regulation under the Hazardous Waste Act since 2019, but the Air Force disagreed and sued NMED over the issue. HB 140 explicitly designates discarded firefighting foams containing PFAS chemicals as hazardous waste. 'After years of contesting responsibility, today's lawsuit puts every one of the Air Force's excuses to rest,'Environment Department Secretary James Kenney said in a statement regarding the new lawsuit. 'The Air Force has spent years contesting the Environment Department's authority as opposed to any meaningful cleanup of the toxic PFAS contamination in local drinking water sources that serve both residents and dairy farmers.' Battle between New Mexico and US Air Force to track toxic chemicals drags on In 2018, outflows from Cannon AFB contaminated water sources with PFAS in 2018 and caused dairy farmers to euthanize thousands of cows. 'PFAS contamination poses a serious and long-term threat to our environment and our communities,' Attorney General Raúl Torrez said in a statement. 'We are committed to using every legal tool available to hold the federal government accountable for the damage done on the base and the surrounding community and to prevent further harm from these dangerous 'forever chemicals.' New Mexicans deserve clean water, safe soil, and a future free from toxic exposure—and we won't stop fighting until they get it.'
Cedar News
21-05-2025
- Health
- Cedar News
Delaware Governor Matt Meyer Signs Medical Aid-in-Dying Bill into Law
DOVER, Del. — Governor Matt Meyer has officially signed House Bill 140 into law, legalizing medical aid-in-dying for terminally ill adults in Delaware. This legislation, known as the Delaware End-of-Life Options Act, permits mentally capable adults with a prognosis of six months or less to live to request and self-administer prescribed medication to end their lives peacefully. The law includes multiple safeguards, such as requiring two healthcare providers to confirm the patient's prognosis and decision-making capacity, and mandates that the patient make two verbal and one written request for the medication. A guardian or surrogate cannot make the request on the patient's behalf. Governor Meyer emphasized that the law is about relieving suffering and providing individuals with the option to die on their own terms, surrounded by loved ones. He acknowledged the decade-long advocacy efforts that led to this moment, noting that the legislation had previously passed but was vetoed by former Governor John Carney. With Governor Meyer's signature, Delaware becomes the 12th jurisdiction in the United States to legalize medical aid-in-dying. The law is set to take effect on January 1, 2026, unless the necessary regulations can be established sooner.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lujan Grisham signs bills for water quality, PFAS restrictions into law
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed four bills into law Tuesday, April 8, relating to water and PFAS. (Danielle Prokop / Source NM) Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Tuesday signed into law four bills she said better prepares New Mexico to address: water shortages from climate change; contamination from so-called 'forever chemicals;' and pollution in the state's waters. At a press conference at the Roundhouse joined by sponsors, advocates and several cabinet secretaries, the governor signed: House Bill 137, which will explore treatment of salty water from deep aquifers for future use. House Bill 212, which tasks state environment officials to create rules phasing out consumer products containing a class of toxic so-called 'forever chemicals,' called per-and-polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS. House Bill 140 to expand New Mexico Environment Department's authority to require the cleanup of firefighting foams containing PFAS in response to litigation from the U.S. military over cleanup at military bases in New Mexico. Senate Bill 21, a bill to expand New Mexico's powers to address stream pollution and take over pollution permitting in surface waters from the federal government. 'When you talk about water to anyone, it's typically not a dialogue, it's a debate, because water is life,' Lujan Grisham said during the bill signing, adding that the Legislature and her office 'did about three decades worth of work' on the issue over the session. New Mexico Environment Secretary James Kenney called the four bills 'a big, bold package,' for the environment. 'This is a real turning point, I think, for taking back control of our water, of what consumer products are coming into our homes, of teaching people how to treat New Mexico and its environment,' Kenney said. Lujan Grisham also celebrated the passage of HB137, the much pared down Strategic Water Supply, crediting state Rep. Susan Herrera (D-Embudo) for sponsoring the bill. HB137 addresses aquifer mapping and treatment of brackish water in deep aquifers, and funding for mapping the state's groundwater supplies. Previous and more controversial versions of the bill included efforts to treat oil and gas wastewater, which environmental, Indigenous and conservation nonprofits opposed due to potential health and logistical risks. A previous version of the bill also installed fees for oil and gas producers per barrel of oil and gas wastewater to help pay for the program, but those also were stripped from the bill. 'This is a monumental stake in identifying water and keeping our fresh water fresh and clean and making sure that we can do both economic development and create assurances for any number of industries, including ag in the future,' Lujan Grisham said of the bill, and noted she plans to push for developing treatment for oil and gas wastewater in next year's 30-day session. 'I think we should clean up every bit of contaminated water, wherever it exists, from uranium mill tailings to produced water, all of it,' Lujan Grisham said, adding that the costs should be paid for by the oil and gas industry. The governor also applauded the Legislature's work in passing SB21, a bill to enshrine the state's right to regulate pollution in surface waters like streams and rivers and continue the yearslong process to develop a state program for permits. New Mexico was one of only three states that allowed the federal government to handle all pollution permitting in surface waters. SB21 allows the state to reinstate protections for more than 90% of New Mexico's waters which were stripped by the Supreme Court decision in Sackett v. EPA. Paula Garcia, the executive director of the New Mexico Acequia Association, told Source NM the laws will reinstall meaningful protections for the tributary waters on which irrigators rely, but that the organization will ensure there's follow-through in the yearslong process for the state to take over permitting. 'We have to stay vigilant to ensure the state's environment department has the resources that the need to stand up this program,' Garcia said. It was a much warmer mood on the fourth floor, compared to the somber end of the legislative session, which occurred in the aftermath of the Las Cruces mass shooting on March 21 and prompted criticism from the governor on legislative inaction regarding juvenile crime reform. Lujan Grisham said on Tuesday a special session on juvenile crime is still under discussion, but a specific date has not been set. She said perhaps later this year after interim committee meetings begin. 'I'm still feeling like that's really necessary,' she said. In the upcoming 30-day session, the governor said she'd fight for a law codifying greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2050, which she issued as an executive order in 2019. This year's version, Senate Bill 4, sponsored by Senate Pro Tem Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque), failed to advance beyond Senate Finance this year. She emphasized that her administration is running out of time. 'It's the last chance, and people should expect me to have a little bit better than a scalpel approach, a little bit less than a sledgehammer about where we're going in climate change,' Lujan Grisham said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Pair of PFAS bills clears final committee, heads to Senate floor
New Mexico Environment Department Secretary James Kenney at the Roundhouse at Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Kenney said he was glad two bills related to PFAS cleared their final committee, but both still require a Senate floor vote to become law. (Danielle Prokop / Source NM) A pair of bills to address current and future contamination from so-called 'forever chemicals' advanced through a final committee hearing Tuesday and now heads to the Senate floor. Both bills address per-and-polyfluoroalkyl substances — better known as PFAS — a class of manmade chemicals with a myriad of uses in waterproofing, manufacturing and more. However, due to their ability to withstand breaking down in heat, sunlight, water or oil, the chemicals can accumulate in the bodies of people and animals. While research on the environmental and health threats PFAS pose remains ongoing, studies have shown increased risks for certain cancers, decreased fertility, developmental effects in children, reduced vaccine response and interference with hormones and cholesterol levels. House Bill 140 amends the definition of hazardous waste to include firefighting foams that contain PFAS. Rep. Andrea Reeb (R-Clovis) narrowed the bill's scope with an amendment during the debate on the House floor to only address PFAS, rather than other hazardous materials. Rep. Christine Chandler (D-Los Alamos) told the Senate Conservation Committee Tuesday that giving the New Mexico Environment Department the authority to treat PFAS as hazardous material and mandate their cleanup will boost the agency's position in legal fights over PFAS contamination in the water in and around military bases. New Mexico wildlife, plants around Holloman lake have highest PFAS contamination on record New Mexico is engaged in two separate court battles with the U.S. Department of Defense over its actions and cleanup of the PFAS contamination. New Mexico joined multi-state litigation in the North Carolina courts against the military's use of PFAS-laden aqueous film forming foam for fire fighting exercises. In a federal lawsuit, the U.S. military sued the New Mexico Environment Department, saying the agency went too far in mandating cleanup around bases, and contended the state lacks regulatory authority over PFAS. This law is a direct response to those arguments, Chandler said. 'As a result, they have been reluctant to come to the table to resolve that issue, so we are developing that authority for [NMED] so they may have that rare leverage in attempting to resolve that on behalf of citizens in that area as well as the state,' Chandler told the committee. The second bill, House Bill 212, would start a yearslong process phasing out of products with added PFAS and prohibit the sale of products containing PFAS, while allowing exemptions for electronics, cars and medical devices. Sponsor Rep. Joanne Ferrary (D-Las Cruces) held up a bottle of fabric protector during the committee hearing, illustrating PFAS presence in everyday products. 'While this bottle costs about $10, it can cost $18 million to remove and destroy a pound of PFA from drinking water and wastewater treatment plants,' She said. 'HB12 starts us down the path of sunsetting these harmful products.' If approved, New Mexico would be the second state to enact a PFAS ban on consumer products, following Maine's lead. New Mexico Environment Secretary James Kenney told Source NM he was speaking with Senate leadership to try and secure a floor vote as the session enters into its final four days. 'Having these discussions has precipitated a lot of good effort, but passing the bill will now hold everyone accountable to staying at the table,' Kenney said. 'And that has been missing from New Mexico on this topic.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Pair of PFAS bills clears final committee, heads to Senate floor
New Mexico Environment Department Secretary James Kenney at the Roundhouse at Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Kenney said he was glad two bills related to PFAS cleared their final committee, but both still require a Senate floor vote to become law. (Danielle Prokop / Source NM) A pair of bills to address current and future contamination from so-called 'forever chemicals' advanced through a final committee hearing Tuesday and now heads to the Senate floor. Both bills address per-and-polyfluoroalkyl substances — better known as PFAS — a class of manmade chemicals with a myriad of uses in waterproofing, manufacturing and more. However, due to their ability to withstand breaking down in heat, sunlight, water or oil, the chemicals can accumulate in the bodies of people and animals. While research on the environmental and health threats PFAS pose remains ongoing, studies have shown increased risks for certain cancers, decreased fertility, developmental effects in children, reduced vaccine response and interference with hormones and cholesterol levels. House Bill 140 amends the definition of hazardous waste to include firefighting foams that contain PFAS. Rep. Andrea Reeb (R-Clovis) narrowed the bill's scope with an amendment during the debate on the House floor to only address PFAS, rather than other hazardous materials. Rep. Christine Chandler (D-Los Alamos) told the Senate Conservation Committee Tuesday that giving the New Mexico Environment Department the authority to treat PFAS as hazardous material and mandate their cleanup will boost the agency's position in legal fights over PFAS contamination in the water in and around military bases. New Mexico wildlife, plants around Holloman lake have highest PFAS contamination on record New Mexico is engaged in two separate court battles with the U.S. Department of Defense over its actions and cleanup of the PFAS contamination. New Mexico joined multi-state litigation in the North Carolina courts against the military's use of PFAS-laden aqueous film forming foam for fire fighting exercises. In a federal lawsuit, the U.S. military sued the New Mexico Environment Department, saying the agency went too far in mandating cleanup around bases, and contended the state lacks regulatory authority over PFAS. This law is a direct response to those arguments, Chandler said. 'As a result, they have been reluctant to come to the table to resolve that issue, so we are developing that authority for [NMED] so they may have that rare leverage in attempting to resolve that on behalf of citizens in that area as well as the state,' Chandler told the committee. The second bill, House Bill 212, would start a yearslong process phasing out of products with added PFAS and prohibit the sale of products containing PFAS, while allowing exemptions for electronics, cars and medical devices. Sponsor Rep. Joanne Ferrary (D-Las Cruces) held up a bottle of fabric protector during the committee hearing, illustrating PFAS presence in everyday products. 'While this bottle costs about $10, it can cost $18 million to remove and destroy a pound of PFA from drinking water and wastewater treatment plants,' She said. 'HB12 starts us down the path of sunsetting these harmful products.' If approved, New Mexico would be the second state to enact a PFAS ban on consumer products, following Maine's lead. New Mexico Environment Secretary James Kenney told Source NM he was speaking with Senate leadership to try and secure a floor vote as the session enters into its final four days. 'Having these discussions has precipitated a lot of good effort, but passing the bill will now hold everyone accountable to staying at the table,' Kenney said. 'And that has been missing from New Mexico on this topic.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
