Check out the latest from "Capital & Main" featuring CCFF

 The Stench of Climate Change While New Mexico sizzles and the West burns, methane emissions from the state’s biggest oilfield keep rising.

Check out the latest from "The Guardian" featuring CCFF

How big oil keeps a grip on New Mexico – with the help of a major lobbyist

"In the first quarter of this year alone, Carlsbad and Eddy County together paid at least $50,000 for FTI Consulting’s influence services.The publicly funded lobbying efforts have helped maintain the fossil fuel industry’s stronghold in New Mexico – a state where Indigenous communities have criticized oil and gas policies for years."

Why I'm involved in the work Citizens Caring for the Future is doing: by Chris Fierro

My name is Chris Fierro and the oil and gas industry has greatly impacted my family, and our land in a rural area near Carlsbad. It has created a huge rift in my family that lasts to this day. Although, I do not see my mom’s side of the family, where this rift was created, I always hear the disagreements, and arguments whenever we get together for family related events. It is a crazy situation that I am only now beginning to understand, since I am 19 years-old and was not aware of the history. 

It all started about 4-5 years ago. One of my mom’s uncles passed away. He was one of many siblings leaving nine of his brothers and sisters. This uncle oversaw the family farmland, and everything related to it. When he passed, he did not have a set will of who would inherit the land or family house. The days after his funeral they were all in talks to see what was going to happen to the land. Unfortunately, the siblings in the family were mostly in disagreement on how to move forward with keeping or selling the land. 

The situation was complex because the family farmland, which has been in the family for generations, requires labor-intensive care and with aging siblings this was difficult. In addition, a few years before my mom’s uncle passed, oil deposits were discovered underneath a big chunk of the land. One oil company disregarded the fencing that outlined the property and built a well without even talking with my family. Ownership did not really matter to the oil field company. 

The company built an oil well on our family land and were not remorseful of what they had done. They claimed that it was just a mistake and that the land was not even marked as being private property. Instead of settling the dispute legally, they immediately offered money, as if this would fix everything. The company offered $800,000. Yes, that was the number. My jaw still drops seeing all those zeroes. While my family took the money, half of the siblings were furious. It was their family land and losing any of it, even if it was a little piece, was heartbreaking to them. 

When the well was built it had in a way ruined the land around the area. Trucks travel through the area many times a day, the surrounding area is just gravel and trash. The land is not looked after, the only thing in that area is the oil well. The farm is not really a true farm anymore as they do not farm any crops, but they try to keep most of the land maintained. It’s hard for them though with the oil well, the traffic, and the trash the workers leave behind. It is all so difficult. 

The oil company that did this makes me upset. Hate is a strong word, but I really do hate what the oil company did to the land. They put an oil well and knowing they did wrong they just used their power and money to pay off the whole situation. I do not blame my family for taking the money. The oil company has the power to dust off situations like this without true consideration of families, history, legacy and land. They took land away from my family, took a bit of history from them just for the sake of oil which has ruined the surrounding area with the trash and truck traffic. 

Keeping this land, even if it is not used for farming, is more important than selling it off to oil companies. It has history and keeping it in the family where future generations have land for any other endeavors is important. The oil industry hurts the environment and it’s time is extremely limited in our world. Having this land means more than a quick payoff in money, the land has more value the time it stays in the family. The land holds the history of our family and how we got here, grew and thrived in Carlsbad.

Don't miss this wonderful piece featuring Citizens Caring for the Future leaders Nick King, Gene Harbaugh, Kayley Shoup & our incredible allies Joan Brown & Nathalie Eddy

Can the sun solve New Mexico’s energy conundrum? The state is dependent on oil and gas, but Carlsbad has opportunity to become the epicenter of renewable energy.

What Harbaugh finds most troubling is what he calls a psychic shift in the community. Carlsbad had always been a fairly poor area, with most jobs in mining or agriculture. So community institutions stepped up and people relied on one another, he said. And while he can’t totally blame the oil boom for the dwindling of his former congregation, Harbaugh said the industry, by nature, breeds a mentality of total self-reliance. Success is what can be pulled from the ground by one man or one company. “Individual freedoms are what now seem to be paramount,” Harbaugh lamented. “People are supposed to do whatever they want as long as it benefits them.”

Summertime with Citizens Caring for the Future

Citizens Caring for the Future has kicked off the summer with a bang! At the beginning of June we had our first in person community meeting in over a year. It was great to catch up with one another. We also had plenty of new faces there, which was very exciting! We are filled with hope for the future. The more local citizens that get involved the more change we can make! 

Recently CCFF Leaders Nick King & Kayley Shoup testified during the EPA Listening Sessions regarding the upcoming methane rule making that the EPA is undertaking. You can check out coverage of that event by following the links below. 

New Mexico advocates call on EPA for stricter oil & gas emission limits

“And the methane problem may be even more prevalent than what is self-reported by the industry.  But we do know that it has dire effects- both locally and globally,” King said during the hearing. “Fossil fuels have been the lifeblood of our culture for more than 100 years, but they are also our poison.”

NM Residents Provide EPA with Real-World Methane Stories

"Here in New Mexico, we have regulation but there's virtually no enforcement," Shoup said. "We have not one air inspector that lives in the Permian Basin, and we have one air monitor in the little town I live in."

CCFF Leader Kayley Shoup also testified at the recent rule making that resulted in oil & gas spills being outlawed in New Mexico. You can read the story covering the rule making below.

Outlawed: Oil & gas spills now illegal in New Mexico. Industry supports rule change

“We know firsthand that a lack of clarity has very real-life consequences for front-line community members that experience spills,” Shoup said. “We are also grateful the industry is supporting this rule change that will help protect the communities where they produce oil and gas.”

Thanks for reading and please visit our Twitter & FB to keep up to date with our upcoming events! 

Twitter: @caring_future

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nm.permian.ccff

Citizens Caring for the Future in the News

Read up on the latest pieces featuring "Citizens Caring for the Future!" 

Carlsbad-area activists partner with Chaco Canyon groups to study impacts of oil and gas

“These symptoms are consistent with repeated exposure to PM 2.5 and the elevated levels of formaldehyde,” she said. “The health risks from elevated PM 2.5 and the formaldehyde emissions is significant and needs to be mitigate. Chemical toxicity in humans can occur within minutes.”

'It doesn't feel like home anymore." Locals fight oil and gas' impact on Carlsbad area

“At some point, you’ve got to think it has to do with what’s going on around us,” Shoup said of the rash of cancer diagnoses she noticed when returning to her hometown. “It was becoming too many.”

Groups seek federal oil & gas leasing reform

Biden's public land conservation plan could have big impacts in New Mexico, organizers say

“In Carlsbad, we have so much to conserve here just in terms of our rivers and the land around us. It’s somewhat threatened by oil and gas,” Shoup said. “To have this plan as a goalpost is very exciting. As people in the community begin to organize, it will be great to have the federal government behind us.”

Oil and gas industry worried New Mexico's emission controls could imperil small operators

“As frontline community members in the Permian Basin, we see and feel the effects of oil and gas pollution in Southeast New Mexico every day,” she said. “We are encouraged that the New Mexico Environment Department is taking action to hold the oil and gas industry accountable to clean up its act.”

Citizens Caring for the Future has had a Very Busy Spring!

 As the pandemic has begun to lift CCFF Leaders have had a chance to meet in person once again, and we have lots of news to share! In early April Nathalie Eddy & Joan Brown, our incredible allies from up North, were able to make a trip down to Southeast New Mexico. It was wonderful to break bread with them, and just catch up and be in community with one another. It was much needed and a great reminder as to why we do this important work. Now onto the news! 

Both Joan & Nathalie were extremely busy while they were in town. They truly are Superwomen if you ask us! Joan connected our new organizers, Chris & Kayley, with faith leaders in both Carlsbad and Hobbs that she knows through her work with "Interfaith Power & Light." These are new and exciting connections that we believe will expand our community as we continue our work to raise awareness of the dangers of oil & gas production to our health and planet. Nathalie spent her time out in the field tracking methane pollution and reporting sites that were out of compliance as part of her work with "Earthworks." In addition to that strenuous work, she also took the time to meet with some local leaders from Carlsbad & Jal in order to show them the pollution & to educate them on the state of regulation (or lack thereof) in the Permian. Nathalie & Joan, along with a few of the leaders,  also took the time to meet with reporters. You can read the coverage of our time with Adrian Hedden at "The Current Argus" below.

"It Doesn't Feel Like Home Anymore"

After we said our goodbyes it was onto another busy week! On April 15th CCFF held a virtual community meeting where we heard from leaders around the state that have taken part in a "Health Impact Assessment." There is little to no data on the health effects of oil & gas production in the Permian, and we are on a mission to change that! It was a wonderful & informative meeting where we seemed to acquire a roadmap as to how we can take on the huge task of organizing a HIA. We also, for the first time, had Spanish interpreters present at our meeting. Joan has done incredible work to make sure that CCFF is inclusive to the Hispanic community, and we are proud to announce that our meetings going forward will include an interpreter! We will be posting the recording of the event in English and Spanish later this week. So make sure to check that out! You can read more about the speakers below. 

Speakers at Community Meeting

On the same week as our community meeting CCFF Leaders Gene Harbaugh & Kayley Shoup, along with Nathalie Eddy, spoke at a virtual press conference that was held with allies from the San Juan Basin. It was the first time that community members from the San Juan & Permian Basin have spoken out in unity. We are very excited to forge these new relationships with our brothers & sisters from the North, who face many of the same issues we do, and we know that it will make the work we do that much more impactful. The press conference was held on the last day of public comment that the "Department of Interior" allowed as part of their investigation into the federal oil & gas leasing program. The impact statements shared were submitted as official comments. You can read coverage of the event below.

Groups seek oil and gas leasing reform

Last but not least, we welcomed the incredible Penny Aucoin back to our leadership team! Penny is an outspoken voice for the health & safety of our community in the face of record oil & gas production, and we are so grateful to have her on board! You can check out a recent ad she worked on with "Methane Matters" by following the link below.

New Mexico Holds Opportunity To Craft Nation Leading Rules, But Proposed Loopholes Must First Be Closed

Exciting progress is being made on a federal and state level, as a new administration has taken over. We are grateful to have leaders that care for our environment, and we look forward to the progress that "Citizens Caring for the Future" will be able to make as a community!