Halt Mine Cleanup Field Work, EPA Chief Says – The Associated Press
The head of the Environmental Protection Agency has ordered agency offices nationwide to stop field investigation work for mine cleanups while they reassess the work to ensure there's no potential for spills similar to the one in Colorado.
EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy announced the change Wednesday on a visit to Durango, but it's not clear whether the stoppage applies to cleanups already underway or how many projects would be affected.
It came a week after an EPA-supervised crew accidentally unleashed 3 million gallons of wastewater from an old mine that flowed into the Animas River.
McCarthy says the latest water testing results show that the river in Durango has returned to its former condition. She didn't release further details.
That announcement could signal an end to a dispute between the agency and Colorado, which wants to reopen the river to boating and fishing, key parts of the area's tourism economy.
EPA Chief To Visit Areas Affected By Mine Spill – Associated Press
The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will visit areas in the Southwest affected by contaminated wastewater that spilled from a Colorado mine.
Gina McCarthy's office announced Tuesday that she would visit Colorado and New Mexico on Wednesday. Congressional members from those states had sent letters to her earlier this week, asking her to come see the extent of the damage firsthand.
The lawmakers said it's critical she sees the need for substantial cleanup efforts.
An EPA-led crew accidentally unleashed 3 million gallons of mine waste last week that turned a Colorado river mustard yellow and traveled downstream.
State and local officials say residents still have questions about when their water will be safe to drink or use for crops or livestock.
McCarthy said she understands the frustrations but that the agency is working around the clock to analyze data.
New Mexico Official: Towns Want Answers On Spill – The Associated Press
New Mexico's attorney general says communities affected by contaminated wastewater that spilled from a Colorado mine have anywhere from seven to 50 days of drinking water in storage tanks and reservoirs.
Hector Balderas says the towns are anxious for the release of sampling results from the Animas and San Juan rivers. He spoke today after meeting with local officials in Farmington. He was headed to Durango, Colorado, to meet with his counterparts from that state and Utah.
Communities in northwestern New Mexico and on the Navajo Reservation have made plans to access other sources of water, but Balderas said his office is among those pressuring federal officials to get better data and release it in a timely manner.
Balderas says that because there are questions about the safety of the river, it's too early to guess at the true costs of what he called an unfortunate disaster.
New Details In Shooting Of Undercover Officer In Drug Bust – The Associated Press & The ABQ Journal
Authorities say the Albuquerque police lieutenant who shot and seriously injured an undercover officer during a low-level drug bust may not have known he was an officer.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that police reports released yesterday show Lt. Greg Brachle didn't attend a pre-operation briefing where police decided to send an additional undercover officer to the January drug bust.
That officer was Jacob Grant, who was shot multiple times by Brachle during the undercover operation.
The reports state that Grant pulled a gun on one of the suspects and then Brachle yelled, "He's got a gun," and opened fire on Grant.
Grant's attorney said in a claim filed with the city that he won't be able to return to work or normal activities because of his injuries.
New Mexico Court Of Appeals Strikes Down Right-To-Die Law – Associated Press
The New Mexico Court of Appeals has struck down a prior Bernalillo County District Court ruling that essentially allowed assisted suicide in the state.
In a split decision Tuesday, a majority of the court concluded "that aid in dying is not a fundamental liberty interest under the New Mexico Constitution."
A District Court judge previously ruled that a 1963 state statute making assisted suicide a fourth-degree felony in the state was invalid as applied to physicians who administer a lethal dose of medication to a terminally ill patient.
The Court of Appeals also reversed the district court's decision to stop the state from enforcing the 1963 law and instructed district courts to stop proceedings in further assisted suicide and right-to-die cases.
Teachers Union Lawsuit Against Evaluations Heads To Trial – Santa Fe New Mexican
A case challenging the state’s teacher evaluation system will move forward.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that State District Judge Francis Mathew ruled against the Public Education Department Tuesday, which had sought the dismissal of a lawsuit by a teacher’s union.
The National Education Association-New Mexico sued last year, arguing that the state constitution gives local school districts, not the state, the power to establish guidelines for teacher evaluations.
Under the current system, student test scores can account for half of a teacher’s rating. Critics call that unfair.
Teachers also are rated based on their attendance, classroom observations by principals, assessments of how teachers plan lessons, and student and parent surveys.
An attorney for the Public Education Department, argued that those suing made no claim that the evaluation system caused them damages. He said school districts, not the state, ultimately maintain the right to dismiss teachers based on evaluation ratings.
State Officials: New Mexico Democrats' Emails Unblocked – The Associated Press
Officials say a server issue that was blocking emails from the Democratic Party of New Mexico to state agencies should be resolved.
Secretary of State spokesman Ken Ortiz said today the Department of Information Technology contacted the service provider for state email addresses after an inquiry by The Associated Press and Democrats should no longer be blocked.
Democratic Party spokesman Scott Tillman says emails from New Mexico Democratic chair Deb Haaland and other staffers were being blocked and "blacklisted" from state agencies.
He says the blocking is preventing state Democrats from obtaining important public voter information.
But Ortiz says the Secretary of State's office doesn't have any record of any complaints from Democrats and immediately would have helped resolve it.
Democrats have not confirmed if emails are unblocked.
California Firm Pays $5.9M For Overcharging NM National Lab – The Associated Press
A San Diego company will pay $5.9 million to settle allegations that it overcharged the federal government for computers used at a national security research and development laboratory in New Mexico.
The computers sold by a subsidiary of PC Specialists Inc. to the National Nuclear Security Administration between 2003 and 2013 were used at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque. The settlement of the civil fraud charges was announced by the Department of Justice late Tuesday.
The PC Specialists subsidiary known as Technology Integration Group also entered a non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Mexico in April that required it to fire three employees.
The civil settlements arose from a whistleblower lawsuit filed by a former company executive.
Sandia conducts research in nuclear weapons, energy and environmental technology.
Santa Fe Asks Judge To Uphold Ban On Small Liquor Bottles – The Associated Press & The Santa Fe New Mexican
The Santa Fe City Council is asking a judge to uphold its decision to ban the sale of small bottles of liquor.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that the city government also wants District Judge Sarah Singleton of Santa Fe to dismiss claims filed by liquor businesses challenging the law.
The council voted in April to ban the sale of liquor in bottles of 8 ounces or less. In court documents, the city says the law, which will take effect Oct. 8., is meant to reduce litter.
Liquor stores say it will hurt business and argue that the state government has authority over alcohol sales.
The city filed for a judgment in May in hopes of preventing a lawsuit by seven businesses.
Lawyers for the businesses didn't return a message requesting comment.
Horse Trainer Suspended In Doping Case – The Associated Press & The ABQ Journal
A horse trainer faces a one-year suspension and $6,000 in fines after two of his horses tested positive for drugs earlier this year at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that rulings recently posted on the New Mexico Racing Commission's website show that Salvador Soto trained an 8-year-old sorrel quarterhorse named Whatever Bill who tested positive for multiple drugs after winning a race on Jan. 11.
Soto's other horse had tested positive for a corticosteroid a week earlier. The horse, Hi Class Local, finished 10th in that race.
Both horses had to pass a commission-approved exam before returning to the racetrack.
Soto has received four violations in a one-year period. He has been suspended until June 27, 2016.
PNM Wants To Join Lawsuit To Stop Publication Of Contract – Associated Press
Public Service Company of New Mexico and two coal firms want a judge to stop the Santa Fe New Mexican from publishing documents the paper got accidentally from the Public Regulation Commission.
PNM says it will suffer "irreparable harm" if its confidential business information and trade secrets are published by the newspaper.
The utility wants to join in a lawsuit filed last week by the PRC seeking to block the newspaper from reporting on the information, which is related to the pending San Juan Generating Station case.
According to the lawsuit filed in state District Court, a New Mexican reporter filed a public records request for emails between PNM and PRC regulators and was inadvertently given email attachments that contained the confidential documents.
Uber Reaches Temporary Agreement For Service At Sunport – Associated Press
The Uber ride-sharing service is getting city permission to operate temporarily at the Albuquerque International Sunport.
The Albuquerque Journal reports Mayor Richard Berry's office says Albuquerque and Uber have entered a temporary agreement in compliance with existing city ordinances and state laws to allow Uber drivers to provide an on-demand transportation option.
Unlike traditional taxi businesses, Uber uses a smart-phone program to connect people seeking rides with people who have cars.
Uber will pay $1 for every pickup or drop-off. That’s compared to the flat monthly fee of $1,193 that taxi companies pay to ferry passengers to and from the airport.
Uber and other ride-sharing companies have riled taxi services who argue that such companies are skirting the regulations imposed on the taxi industry. The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission voted in April on new rules to govern ride-sharing services.
Court: Placitas Horse Herd Could Be Considered 'Wild' – Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press
An appellate court has ruled that a horse herd in the mountain hamlet of Placitas could be considered wild, drawing praise from an advocacy group.
The Albuquerque Journal reports the New Mexico Court of Appeals recently ruled the herd couldn't be simply rounded up under state law and must go through DNA testing.
The ruling means a lawsuit filed by the Wild Horse Observers Association will go back to a lower court in a dispute that has entangled residents in the affluent community.
Advocates for the horses want the animals to continue roaming freely in Placitas. Other residents say the horses have damaged the land and are a safety hazard.
New Mexico Livestock Board Executive Director William Bunch says the state will try to comply with the ruling.