Two major corporations have agreed to spend $63 million cleaning up uranium mine waste that has contaminated Navajo Nation land in New Mexico for more than four decades. United Nuclear Corporation and General Electric reached a settlement Tuesday with federal and state authorities requiring them to remove about one million cubic yards of radioactive waste […]
Environment, Conservation & Climate
Stories related to our ongoing coverage of environmental issues in New Mexico.
Posted inEnvironment, Conservation & Climate, Westside Albuquerque
99.7% of residents tested near Cannon AFB have PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ in their blood
This report is supported by NM Political Report, a nonprofit newsroom working to increase New Mexicans’ engagement in politics and public policy. Reported by: Noah Gollin, New Mexico Political Report This report is original reporting by a New Mexico-based independent journalist with support NMreports.org and its readers and sponsors. Location: Clovis, New Mexico 626 of […]
Posted inEnvironment, Conservation & Climate, Town of Bernalillo
Free wildfire preparedness workshop set for Aug. 16 in Bernalillo
A free wildfire preparedness workshop aimed at helping residents protect their homes and develop emergency mindsets will be held Saturday, Aug. 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at El Zócalo Plaza in Bernalillo. The “Learning to Live with Wildfire” workshop, hosted by the Coronado Soil and Water Conservation District, will feature two wildfire experts […]
Posted inEnvironment, Conservation & Climate
Extreme heat wave to scorch New Mexico this weekend
New Mexico residents are bracing for a dangerous heat wave this weekend, with temperatures expected to soar as high as 107°F across northern and southern regions of the state through Sunday. The extreme weather conditions have prompted health officials to issue urgent safety warnings, particularly for vulnerable populations who face the greatest risk of heat-related […]
Posted inEnvironment, Conservation & Climate, Pueblos
On the Navajo Nation, the list of mystery wells continues to grow
This story was originally published by Capital & Main. By Jerry Redfern On a warm evening in early June, Loretta Johnson pointed her white Chevy Silverado with a Navajo blanket-patterned steering wheel cover south on the main road leading out of Shiprock, New Mexico, and hit the accelerator — lightly. The retired nurse drove herself and […]
Posted inEnvironment, Conservation & Climate, Pueblos
Video: Ruidoso avoids more tragedy as flash flood prompts 5 rescues
Emergency responders successfully rescued all five people trapped by Thursday’s flash flooding in Ruidoso, marking a far less severe event than the deadly flooding that killed three residents just 16 days ago. Heavy monsoon rainfall caused a major flash flood near the village of Ruidoso on Thursday afternoon, with the Rio Ruidoso cresting at 12.5 […]
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Water managers brace for dry conditions along sections of the Rio Grande
Water managers across the middle Rio Grande Valley in New Mexico are coordinating efforts in anticipation of a dry 2025 season, which will likely cause sections of the river to run dry. This follows a trend seen in Albuquerque, where the Rio Grande dried up for the first time in 40 years in 2022. While […]
Posted inEnvironment, Conservation & Climate, Pueblos
More bad news for Ruidoso as NWS issues flood watch
A day after historic flash flooding deluged Ruidoso, killing three people and displacing many more, the National Weather Service issued another flood watch for the area. The flood watch is in place for Ruidoso until 9 p.m. Residents are advised that excessive runoff could lead to flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying, flood-prone […]
Posted inEdgewood
No Water, no answers: Melody Ranch residents forced into survival mode
Developing a strategy wasn’t on Fox Morgan’s to-do list, but planning every detail of her life has been her best course of action for the past few months, as she’s resorted to drastic measures to get by and adapted despite it all. She jokingly states that her former experience as a Girl Scout and a […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Environment, Conservation & Climate
EPA designates former Albuquerque dry cleaner as one of the nation’s most serious hazardous waste sites
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday that a former dry cleaning facility in Albuquerque has been added to the federal Superfund National Priorities List, marking it as one of the nation’s most serious hazardous waste sites requiring cleanup. The Carlisle Village Cleaners site, which operated from 1953 to 1975, has been designated for priority […]