Starting on July 13th, 2021 the New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC) will begin the state Triennial Review public hearing on proposed changes to our state surface water quality standards and regulations.
We know as traditional rural communities that rapid land use development and inadequate protection for the health of the water can negatively impact our communities, families and livelihoods. Impacts include potential risks of groundwater contamination and increased degradation of surface water quality from municipal wastewater treatment facilities and industrial water users, such as oil & gas, mining, and national laboratories. The state Triennial Review is an important way to ensure that our precious water is protected for current and future generations of acequiero/as.
NMAA, as a member of the Communities for Clean Water (CCW) coalition, supports CCW’s contributions and demands to provide more protections for New Mexico’s waters.
It is critical for the acequia communities voices to be heard in this process – please take some time this week to send in a public comment by email or make a verbal comment during the hearing.
How To Take Action:
A. Submit a written public comment:
- OR send an email by hand using our sample letter (click here for PDF version – and click here for Word Doc) – this email should go to: pamela.jones@state.nm.us
- We believe comments will be accepted through the end of the hearing, which could be Friday the 16th or sometime next week. Because the ending date is not clear, we suggest submitting comments ASAP before 9:00am on Friday July 16th.
B. Join the public hearing and make a verbal comment:
- The hearing starts Tuesday July 13th and may continue for up to 10 days. On day one, July 13th, the hearing will run from 9:00-12:00 and again from 1:00-6:00pm. Starting on day two, July 14th, the hearing will start at 8:00 am.
- On day one, July 13th, public comments will be accepted from 5:00-6:00 pm. Beginning on day two, July 14th (and continuing until Friday the 16th or later), public comment will be accepted from 8:00-9:00 am AND again from 5:00-6:00 pm.
- For help preparing your comments – see the bullet points in the sample public comment letter – OR explore these suggested talking points from Amigos Bravos. Please also keep in mind how important it is to share your personal story – What are the names of the waterways are you concerned about? How could your acequia community be impacted by inadequate regulations? Why is water quality important to you as an acequiero, farmer or rancher?
- Each public comment is limited to five minutes. We encourage you to express your displeasure that comments are limited to five minutes.
- The hearing will be virtual on WebEx online meeting platforms or you can participate by phone. Details for how to connect are below:
To connect via video conference, go to:
Click meeting link: https://nmed-oit.webex.com/nmed-oit/j.php?MTID=m173d2e7c86c3828b4dbdcb4d1fe06be6
Enter meeting number: 177 706 1008
Enter password: phQAE7KmR47
OR join by phone:
+1-415-655-0001 (US Toll)
Access code: 177 706 1008
Questions? Please contact NMAA at – (505) 995-9644 OR – jaimie@lasacequias.org or emily@lasacequias.org
Leave a Reply