In late 2022, an oil and gas production company petitioned the state of New Mexico to turn a water well into a waste disposal well in the northwest corner of the state. It sits on a plot of state land surrounded by tribal and federal property, and less than a mile from the family home of a well-known Native rights organizer. Now, a pending decision by the New Mexico State Land Commissioner may nix the project and close another chapter in one person’s continuing fight against oil and gas development on ancestral Native lands.
The case also highlights the sometimes antiquated laws and overlapping jurisdictions that govern oil and gas production in New Mexico and the difficulty an individual faces when dealing with nearby wells, even when that person is well-versed in the industry.
