New Mexico considers reuse of oil and gas wastewater amid safety concerns

New Mexico regulators propose reusing treated oil and gas wastewater in industrial processes but prohibit its discharge into rivers due to safety concerns.

Martha Pskowski reports for Inside Climate News.

In short:

New Mexico generates billions of gallons of toxic wastewater annually from oil and gas drilling, currently injected underground or transported to Texas for disposal.
Proposed rules allow treated wastewater reuse in industry but prohibit river discharges, citing insufficient safety data.
Environmental advocates worry about risks, while industry groups argue the rules are too restrictive compared to other states.

Key quote:

“The scientific research that would allow us to protectively permit treated produced water discharge simply does not exist.”

— Andrew Knight, NMED assistant general counsel

Why this matters:

New Mexico faces severe water shortages and must explore alternatives to traditional water sources. Safe reuse of treated wastewater could provide a new water supply but poses potential environmental and public health risks.

insideclimatenews.org

Senator Whitehouse puts climate change on budget committee’s agenda

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.

New Mexico considers reuse of oil and gas wastewater amid safety concerns

U.S. scientists push forward with climate research despite government withdrawal

Trump’s pick to lead clean energy office has deep oil industry ties

EPA defends freezing $20 billion in climate grants without new evidence

COP30 coordinator: Climate action must be a priority, not a casualty, of defense spending

Texas oil boom brings wealth, but pollution leaves communities struggling

Wildfires in Los Angeles disrupted school for thousands of vulnerable students

Rising temperatures could sharply increase heart disease risks by 2050

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Op-ed: Why funding for the environmental justice movement must be anti-racist

We must prioritize minority-serving institutions, BIPOC-led organizations and researchers to lead environmental justice efforts.

Biden finalizes long-awaited hydrogen tax credits ahead of Trump presidency

Responses to the new rules have been mixed, and environmental advocates worry that Trump could undermine them.

Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Prisons, jails and detention centers are placed in locations where environmental hazards such as toxic landfills, floods and extreme heat are the norm.

LISTEN: Reflections on the first five years of the Agents of Change program

The leadership team talks about what they’ve learned — and what lies ahead.

Study shows $1 billion in lost tax revenue in Houston area from industry tax breaks

Top polluters are benefiting the most from tax breaks.