Oil and gas play a dominant role in New Mexico's livelihood but many residents nonetheless oppose an industry request to release drilling wastewater into surface water like rivers or divert it for crop irrigation.
At a hearing last month, the state's Water Quality Control Commission considered whether to advance rules which would allow what's called "produced water" to be reused in 13 of the state’s 33 counties. The watchdog group WildEarth Guardians analyzes data collected by the state quarterly.
Melissa Troutman, climate and health advocate for WildEarth Guardians, said its latest report showed a troubling trend: While total spills declined, the most dangerous spills are increasing.
"The same oil and gas companies are always the biggest spillers quarter after quarter, year after year," Troutman pointed out. "If there are any kind of enforcement or accountability measures taking place, it's certainly not making things better."
The EarthGuardian report documented more than 9,000 oil and gas spills in the first three months of this year, more than 100 per day. State law requires operators to notify regulators within 24 hours of a specific spill or release.
The majority of those commenting at the Commission's April hearing were strongly opposed to the industry's petition over concerns about toxic pollution. A decision was delayed until a May 12 meeting.
Troutman noted liquid spills, which release oil and toxic waste onto land and into waterways, increased 11% in the first quarter of this year when compared to 2025. Spills involving "produced water” increased by nearly 25% over the same period. Most spills were concentrated in the southeastern part of the state, where the Permian Basin straddles both New Mexico and Texas.
She noted the area's oil and gas boom means the number of spills would continue to grow as production expands. Troutman believes it should require more safeguards against spills, not fewer.
"Recognize that this is an ongoing and foreseeable problem and two, enforce the law," Troutman urged. "Hold companies accountable. The second leading cause of liquid spills is corrosion. That's preventable.'
Oil production has doubled in New Mexico since 2019 but the number of inspectors who oversee the state's facilities has not kept pace. According to WildEarth Guardians, anywhere from two to 14 inspectors manage the workload, making site visits infrequent and allowing operators to self-report spills.
Source: Public News Service
