Mine Environmental Risk Grows With Bankruptcies In Big Coal - The Associated Press
The growing number of bankruptcies in the coal industry make it increasingly likely taxpayers will get stuck with the huge environmental costs of abandoned mines.
Analysts say it's only a matter of when, where and how many more coal mines will close. Concerns are growing bankrupt coal companies can't meet their cleanup and reclamation obligations.
State and federal regulators for years have allowed coal companies to promise to clean up mines instead of setting aside money to do so. The practice is called self-bonding.
The Associated Press has counted up more than $3.3 billion in coal self-bonding obligations in nine top coal-mining states. That includes $2.3 billion in self-bonding by the three biggest coal companies in Chapter 11: Alpha Natural Resources, Arch Coal and Peabody Energy.
Trump To Stump In New Mexico, Nation's Most Hispanic State – The Associated Press
Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump has scheduled his first campaign appearance in New Mexico — the state with the highest percentage of Hispanics in the nation.
His campaign website announced Thursday that Trump will hold a rally Tuesday evening at the Albuquerque Convention Center as New Mexico prepares for its June 7 primary.
Trump's scheduled visit comes after New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, a fellow Republican and the nation's first Latina governor, has denounced him for his past statements about Mexican immigrants and Mexico.
As governor, Martinez has visited Mexico a number of times to promote trade. She has said she wasn't ready to support Trump and wants to hear about his plans to protect the state's military bases.
New Mexico Film Office To Hold Event To Show State Talent – The Associated Press
The state's film office is asking New Mexico filmmakers to submit entries for its annual showcase.
The New Mexico Film Office announced this week that entries are being accepted for the New Mexico Filmmakers Showcase to be held in Albuquerque at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in July.
Officials say the showcase is an annual event featuring a vast range of creative talent from around the state.
A panel of local film professionals will judge the films in various categories, and winning films will be traveled around the state by the New Mexico Film Office in collaboration with local theatres and state film festivals.
Prison Healthcare Company Says Contract Won't Be Renewed – The Associated Press & The Santa Fe New Mexican
The company that provides health care services to the New Mexico Corrections Department says its contract with the state is not being renewed.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that Corizon Correctional Healthcare notified employees this week that the company won't get another four-year contract.
State officials rejected both Corizon and Wexford Health Sources during a six-month bidding contest for the contract. Corizon replaced Wexford in 2007 and both companies have come under scrutiny over the quality of health care services they provided to the state's 7,000 prison inmates.
A Corizon spokeswoman says the company has been honored to provide care for New Mexico's incarcerated for the last nine years.
Albuquerque Launches New Promotional Campaign – The Associated Press & The ABQ Journal
Albuquerque is embarking on a $1 million campaign to promote the city as a great place to live and base a business.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that local and New York-based firms will handle the campaign funded from the city's economic-development account.
Mayor Richard Berry says the city is trying to spread the message that Albuquerque is a suitable place for entrepreneurship, investment and business development.
The campaign will use traditional and social media and Berry says it'll highlight such strengths as the city's proximity to national laboratories and the area's natural beauty.
19 Companies Show Interest In Running Sandia National Lab – The Associated Press & The ABQ Journal
As the National Nuclear Security Administration formally opens the bidding process for a contract to manage Sandia National Laboratories, 19 organizations from around the country have expressed interest.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that the NNSA, which oversees the nuclear weapons lab, will conduct bidding for the $2.9 billion management contract now that it has released its final request for proposals.
The contract will consist of a four-month transition phase and a five-year base period with options for up to five more years.
Among the companies interested in the contract is current lab operator Lockheed Martin. Others include Boeing, Battelle and Fluor, as well as institutions of higher learning, including the University of New Mexico, the University of Texas, Texas A&M University and the University of Arizona.
Value Of Nuclear Power Up For Debate In New Mexico Rate Case – The Associated Press
Discrepancies over the value of electricity purchased from a nuclear-fired power plant in Arizona has interrupted proceedings related to a request by New Mexico's largest electric utility to raise rates for more than a half-million customers.
A New Mexico hearing officer has extended the schedule in the Public Service Co. of New Mexico case so more evidence related to the Palo Verde plant can be submitted.
Groups that have intervened — including a large water utility, industry advocates and environmentalists — will have an opportunity to review any new evidence.
The hearing officer's order stated that significant unanswered discrepancies resulted from PNM's previous responses.
The order pointed to a nearly $20 million difference in the net book value of some of the power purchased from the nuclear plant.
National Guard Trains In Denver To Respond To Terror Attack – The Associated Press
National Guard units from New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah will train in the Denver area over the next six days on how to respond to a terrorist attack.
The Colorado National Guard says the exercise will start Thursday and run through Tuesday.
Officials say some of the training will occur at Denver International Airport, colleges, parks and hospitals around the Denver area.
Officials say the training scenario calls for mock attacks similar to the ones in Paris in November 2015.
Feds: Law Aimed To Stop Abuse Of Indian Women Has Gaps - The Associated Press
A U.S. Justice Department official says there are significant gaps in a federal law aimed at combatting violence against Native American women.
The 2013 Violence Against Women Act allows tribes authority to prosecute non-Native Americans in domestic violence and dating cases within their jurisdictions that involves assaults on women. But under the law, tribal authorities don't have the power to charge a non-Native American who assaults or batters children, even in cases where the abuse went hand-in-hand with an attack on the child's mother.
Tracy Toulou, the director of the department's Office of Tribal Justice, says the law should be expanded to include protections for children, and other measures.
His comments came during a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing yesterday in Washington for several bills, including one to protect Native American children.
Authorities Commended In Incident That Led To Man's Death – The Associated Press
Commendations are in personnel files of deputies and sergeants whose encounter with an elderly man led to his death.
KOB-TV reports 88-year-old Fidencio Duran was in a mental health crisis when he met Bernalillo County authorities in September. He was walking shirtless in his neighborhood and carrying a knife the day after his wife's death.
Authorities eventually fired 60 pepper balls at Duran and released a muzzled K-9.
The commendations were issued before Duran died of pneumonia brought on by broken bones he suffered when the dog knocked him down.
A medical investigator classified Duran's death as a homicide.
The family filed an excessive force lawsuit.
Deputy Felicia Romero said in a statement that Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales signed the commendations based solely on information presented to him.
The Latest: Media Ban Reversed At State GOP Convention – The Associated Press
The Republican Party of New Mexico says a ban on journalists at the state GOP convention has been reversed by tribal leaders overseeing a Native American casino where the event will be held.
State GOP spokesman Tucker Keene says Sandia Pueblo on Wednesday reversed a policy of not allowing news media at Sandia Resort & Casino.
Republican officials say they were caught by surprise earlier when pueblo officials announced that allowing journalists on resort property was against tribal council policy.
The state convention on Saturday will resolve a heated contest for one seat on the Republican National Committee. Republicans also are naming delegates to the national convention.