By Gary King
April has been a good month for
First was the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that the Environmental Protection Agency must regulate greenhouse gases from automobiles, despite its prior refusal to do so. That decision was prompted by a lawsuit brought against the EPA by my office, 11 other states, several environmental groups and several municipalities, including
Our argument was, and still is, that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases fit within the definition of “air pollutants” and therefore the EPA is obliged by the Clean Air Act to regulate emissions of such gases by automobiles. The EPA must now return to court and argue its reasons for not wanting to regulate these emissions or, in light of the ruling, begin implementing such regulation.
Reduced greenhouse gases in our environment can only benefit the health and well being of New Mexicans, and the Attorney General’s Office will continue to watch this case and others that affect our state’s ecosystem to ensure we’re doing everything we can to protect our citizens.
The second piece of good news was the dedication of the silvery minnow refugium in Los Lunas, which is scheduled to begin construction soon and be completed by next fall. This wonderful facility is the fruit of an evolving partnership among government agencies that will help the endangered minnow survive. It will also serve the needs of people and agriculture that rely on the water in the river to survive.
The Attorney General’s Office has been involved because we represent the State of New Mexico in litigation concerning the federal Endangered Species Act; we helped develop funding provisions in the state Water Project Finance Act; and we support other non-litigation solutions that allow for the recovery of endangered species while developing our state’s water resources.
The silvery minnow refugium is entirely state funded and operated, which gives
During the recent refugium dedication ceremonies, which I attended, one speaker’s words seemed to put everything in perspective. The speaker, who came from the agricultural community, said farmers and endangered species have a symbiotic relationship. The farmers, she said, have to be good stewards of the environment in order to preserve the water their crops need to grow and, because farmers need to protect their water resources, they are helping the silvery minnow survive.
My office and many people in state government are committed to finding solutions to water management and endangered species protection. The silvery minnow refugium is one of those solutions, and the Attorney General’s Office will continue be a part of this process.
In closing, I would like to leave with you with lyrics from a silvery minnow song sung by school children at the refugium dedication ceremonies:
“When it’s dark, you’re safe at home, curled up in your water bed.”
King is