Media Contact:
Alan Septoff, (202) 887-1872×105, aseptoff@
“Friday, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) issued a Notice of Violation to Hilcorp Energy Company for violations of the state’s Air Quality Control Act. NMED joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in investigating Hilcorp for these violations.
New Mexico’s enforcement of the national methane pollution safeguards clearly demonstrates the need for these rules. Unfortunately, the Trump administration is doing everything in its power to reverse the rule.
New Mexico’s action also underscores the need for strong state rules limiting methane pollution from oil and gas because federal rules don’t cover wells drilled before mid 2016, even if Andrew Wheeler’s EPA doesn’t eliminate federal methane safeguards entirely.
In May 2018, Earthworks’ team used optical gas imaging to document extensive evidence of normally invisible air pollution, and file six official complaints against Hilcorp operations. While these are not the same sites mentioned in the violation, they demonstrate that Hilcorp has shown a pattern of of this kind of disregard for the law and must be watched and held accountable for its pollution.” — Bruce Baizel, Earthworks’ Energy Program Director
FOR MORE INFORMATION
- New Mexico Environment Department press release: Environment Department issues Notice of Violation to San Juan oil and gas producer for Air Quality Control Act violations
- New Mexico Environment Department Notice of Violation
- [VIDEO] Hilcorp San Juan 32-9 Unit #272s, San Juan County, NM (May 2018)
- [VIDEO] Hilcorp San Juan 32-9 Unit #40, San Juan County, NM (Jan 2018)
- [VIDEO PLAYLIST] Hilcorp NM operations (2018)
- Copies of official complaints filed with NMED available upon request