Posted on 01/12/2008 3:45:08 PM PST by CedarDave
Gov. Bill Richardson on Friday ordered a six-month moratorium on minerals drilling in the Galisteo Basin south of Santa Fe.
Richardson's announcement came as good news to opponents of Tecton Energy's plan to explore for oil and gas near the communities of Cerrillos and Galisteo.
"It's a fragile ecosystem," Richardson, just off the presidential campaign trail, said during a wide-ranging news conference at the Roundhouse. "I have serious reservations about drilling in the Galisteo Basin."
The moratorium will allow Tecton to continue with the application process with the New Mexico Oil Conservation Division, but prohibits the division from approving new drilling, OCD director Mark Fesmire said.
The moratorium effectively extends one enacted by the Santa Fe County Commission in November that was set to expire next month.
In December, the Houston-based company submitted OCD applications to drill at three sites.
At the time, the division said in a news release that it had negotiated a "strict agreement" with Tecton on how it would proceed if the applications were approved. Tecton, the statement said, had agreed to adhere to strict environmental controls, such as using a closed-loop system.
But since then, Fesmire said, drilling opponents and some members of New Mexico's congressional delegation have raised new concerns about potential water pollution and damage to archaeological sites that Richardson felt warranted further study.
(Excerpt) Read more at abqjournal.com ...
Richardson's been back in the state less than 48-hours and he's already abusing executive powers by preventing timely review and approval of a drilling application. This makes a mockery of the regulatory process and disgusts me no end. Richardson and his environmentalist buddies together with the NIMBY neighbors will do whatever they can to stop oil and gas development in NM (and in the entire US if the Dims take control in '08) and of course make the US more dependent than ever on foreign oil imports. More windmills and solar panels will not stop the degradation of our energy production. Unfortunately I forsee $5 gasoline, production of four-passenger cars made overseas (probably China), and return to the 55 mph speed limit. Restricting choice to control your life is what the Democrats are all about.
PING!
King Bill is back; God save the good people of New Mexico from his reign.
Our hero helping to prevent toe Scourge of New Energy Sources.
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“It’s a fragile ecosystem,” ...
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They all are fragile, especially those in the third world where they will be exploring instead of where we can impose common sense regulations that can be enforced by a government that is staffed by people who do not take bribes to look the other way.
Richardson may now return to his giving speeches on our need to end our dependence on foreign oil and how we can reduce our trade deficit.
We should boil off the fat reserves in his big fat @ss instead to power the state for a year. Eco-moron lard brain.
RATs only pay lip service to “energy independence.” Conservation, alternative energy, energy taxes and dictating how we live are their only “ideas.” Exploration and production aren’t in their game plan.
They should at least identify oil and gas deposits because a time may come when they will need to develop those in a hurry.
You can ride on his choo-choo.
Richardson was marketing himself to the country as the moderate Democrat when he ran for president. Now that’s over he is the usual radical environmentalist.
I wish he would have stayed on the road for a few more months.
Now he's free to focus his attention on we poor saps who are unfortunate enough to live in this sorry-ass state that has become a proving ground for every socialist endeavour ever conceived.
Speaking of which, the "footprint" on the land with its new construction is tens of times more visible and long lasting than that of a drill rig present for a month or so. Those of us who live in the oil patch know it is no big deal. Having to cut a ROW up La Bajada hill will leave a scar on the earth visible for miles.
So true, as in SE Asia where whole forests containing endangered orangutans are being cut down and burned so that the land may be put into crops grown for conversion to fuel.
And we have his billion-dollar "health care for all" legislation coming up in the next session.
LOL!
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