New Mexico Environmental Law Center

09/17/2026

Below is more information about what is at stake from the proposed Copper Flat Mine. Norm Gaume: "Copper Flat would require significant groundwater pumping in a region where existing water users are already struggling. The company says its revised proposal will use less water, but technical reviewers continue to question whether sufficient water is legally and physically available for mine operations and long-term reclamation."

Guest Contributor Norm Gaume is a water resources engineer, former director of the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission and president of New Mexico Water Advocates. He has worked on New Mexico water policy and management for decades.

09/17/2026

A hearing on the Copper Flat Mine is tonight in Hillsboro, NM at 5:30pm. There are deep concerns about water impacts from this project. We are sharing information from NM Mining Watch, of which NMELC is a core member. See also an important OpEd by Norm Gaume in a separate post. Thank you!

The Copper Flat public meeting is tomorrow!

For years, communities have been raising questions about what the proposed Copper Flat mine could mean for water, nearby communities and the landscape long after mining ends.

On Thursday, September 17, you have an opportunity to bring those concerns directly to state regulators.

Some of the questions we want regulators to answer include:

💧 Will there be enough water without putting existing water users at greater risk?
⛰️ Has the proposed mine waste facility been adequately evaluated for long-term stability and safety?
🌱 What happens after the mine closes–and who is responsible for dealing with impacts that could last much longer than the mine itself?

You don’t need to understand every technical detail to participate. If you depend on this water, live or work in the area, or care about what happens to New Mexico’s land and communities, your perspective matters.

📅 Thursday, Sept. 17
📍 Hillsboro Community Center, 316 Elenora Street
🏛️ Open house: 2 p.m.
🗣️ Public hearing: 5:30 p.m.

Need help getting ready? Our Copper Flat Toolkit includes background on the proposal, key concerns and guidance for preparing your comments: https://gilaresources.info/wp/blog/speak-up-for-our-water-resources-at-copper-flat-mine-public-hearing/

Show up. Ask questions. Make your concerns part of the public record.

09/17/2026

KOB TV 4 covered the La Jara Mesa uranium mine pause good news that we shared in a press release. :)

A planned uranium mining project in Cibola County is now on hold until May 1 after more than 200 people submitted comments opposing it. ⬇️ Story link in comments.

09/14/2026

NMELC is a core member of NM Mining Watch. Below is important information about an upcoming hearing that starts Thursday on the Copper Flat Mine project.

The Copper Flat public meeting has been announced.

📅 Date: Thursday, Sept. 17
⏰ Time: 5:30 pm
📍Location: Hillsboro Community Center

This is an opportunity to make your concerns part of the official record before state regulators decide whether the proposal should move forward.

You don’t need to be a mining expert to participate. You can speak about the issues that matter to you – including water, impacts to downstream communities, mine waste safety, reclamation, or Sierra County’s future.

Can’t attend? Written comments can be submitted too by Thursday, September 17. Learn more about the meeting, how to participate, and how to submit written comments in our toolkit: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RlbpyNwDjyTVaXxiWD3Ld4_v1YwceZLqoOQ4t02w3Ic/edit?usp=sharing

09/11/2026

Erin Brockovich just posted about Project Jupiter, after one of our clients Vivian Fuller and NMELC contacted her about the highly controversial massive hyperscale data center campus under construction in Santa Teresa.

09/10/2026

🌻New Mexico Environmental Law Center stands in full support of the Executive Order signed last week by New Mexico State Lands Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard banning new uranium mining leases on state lands.
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🗣️NMELC agrees with the Commissioner that the focus should be on clean up from previous uranium mining. Garcia Richard said, “Indigenous communities and New Mexico families have suffered the environmental and health effects inherent in living near a uranium pit or downwind from a nuclear testing site. The Trump administration’s push for aggressive uranium development is a low blow to these communities, and I will keep doing everything in my power to fight back.”

‼️A ban on new uranium mining leases on state land is an important step addressing this significant environmental issue. There is a lot of work that still needs to be done. Hundreds of contaminated sites across the state still need to be cleaned up. The toxic legacy of uranium contamination continues to harm Native/Indigenous families and community members who to this day are dealing with health issues from this extractive industry who took their profits and left their mess behind.

🙏NMELC, along with our clients, extend our sincerest thanks to State Land Commissioner Garcia Richard for her bold action last week. We also urge all lawmakers and governmental agencies to address the harmful legacy from toxic uranium mining and milling and allocate the needed resources required for full cleanup and remediation to protect current and future generations of New Mexicans.

After decades of harm and neglect, there is growing momentum right now where communities across the state are joining forces to fight against the onslaught of new uranium mining proposals targeting NM from out-of-state mining corporations.

👥NMELC and our clients are glad to see Northern New Mexico community members including acequieros, ranchers, and outdoor enthusiasts joining Native/Indigenous community members who have been fighting against uranium mining for decades in an unprecedented effort to build a broad coalition to resist federal overreach and protect NM’s communities.

09/10/2026

NMELC is looking for a full-time Development Manager to join our staff!

Application Deadline by Monday, September 28, 2026.

The New Mexico Environmental Law Center (NMELC) is seeking applications for an experienced and creative Development Manager dedicated to NMELC’s mission of working with communities to advance environmental justice and defend human rights.

For more information see the full job posting at nmelc.org/employment.
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Applicants must live in or in the process of relocating to New Mexico.

NMELC works in partnership with clients, community organizations, coalitions and other stakeholders to disrupt the systemic polluting of frontline, low-income, and communities of color and protect community health and well-being.

NMELC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Individuals from historically underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply.

Applicants should submit a letter of interest, resume, and three references electronically to Dr. Virginia Necochea, Executive Director at [email protected]. All required documents must be submitted. Incomplete submissions will not be considered. Interviews may be conducted either in person in Albuquerque or online.

09/08/2026

Please attend the Homestake Public Meeting in Grants, NM, on Wednesday, Sept. 9 from 5pm to 8pm!

Homestake Barrick Gold is requesting approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission allowing it to buy out enough land and underlying groundwater that it does not have to meet required uranium concentration standards. The uranium contaminated groundwater Homestake seeks to stop treating is moving towards the groundwater sources for Milan and Grants.

Community members have a chance to express concerns and push back on Homestake’s application on Wednesday, September 9th. Homestake will present their revised ACL (Alternate Concentration Limits) application to our communities and we can ask how our regional groundwater supplies will be protected, especially the Rio San Jose and San Andres-Glorieta (SAG) aquifer and say why clean and protected groundwater is so important!

The hybrid event will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 9 from 5-8pm at NMSU-Grants, Theatre Room, Martinez Hall, 1500 3rd St, Grants, NM 87020. Please see the flyer for more information.

Meeting link in our linktree bio!

09/02/2026

NMELC Files Friend of the Court Briefs on Project Jupiter Air Permit and Water Pumping:

Southern NM Residents Filed Two Amicus Briefs to Add Context Regarding Extraordinary Circumstances and the State’s Failure of Due Process

The New Mexico Environmental Law Center (NMELC), on behalf of Southern New Mexico residents Vivian Fuller of Santa Teresa and José Saldaña Jr. of Sunland Park, filed two amicus (friend of the court) briefs to the New Mexico Supreme Court – in support of two Petitions for Writs of Mandamus asking the Court to require the New Mexico Environment Department to comply with all due process requirements at Project Jupiter’s Air Permit Hearing and to to halt the Office of the State Engineer’s (OSE) “emergency” authorization of water pumping for the construction site.

The original petitions were filed by New Energy Economy on the air permit and the Center for Biological Diversity (C*D) on the water pumping. The NM Supreme Court has paused both processes as a result.
Responses from the New Mexico Environment Department, Yucca Growth Infrastructure, the OSE and Santa Teresa Capital are due Wednesday, Sept. 2nd.
Both the air permit hearing and the water pumping are paused until the New Mexico Supreme Court issues their rulings.

After NMELC filed a joint motion with C*D, the Hearing Officer for the air permit hearing disqualified himself. NMELC and C*D had argued that he had shown a pattern of bias and favoritism towards the developer and NMED such that a fair hearing was impossible.

NMELC has arguedthat impacted community members and supporting organizations should play a key role in the selection process for the next hearing officer. The parties should also work together to ensure a hearing date is chosen that works for everyone – not just Project Developers.

Also coming up for Project Jupiter: On Wed., Sept. 2nd there will be a hearing in front of Judge Delaney related to the $165 billion in Industrial Revenue Bonds the Board of Doña Ana County Commissioners authorized on Sept. 19, 2025. The hearing is on YGI’s motion to supplement the record with information it claims the Board considered before it adopted the ordinances.