New Mexico Dairy Reform Coalition

An information resource for environmental issues, concerns, and facts

that relate to the dairy industry of New Mexico.

Who We Are

We are a group of concerned, citizen-based organizations that has joined forces to form a coalition whose mission it is to inform, educate and mobilize the citizens of New Mexico on diary pollution issues. Membership in this coalition includes:

Caballo Concerned Citizens

Amigos Bravos
(Download their Directive to Gov-Elect Martinez)

Rio Grand Chapter of the Sierra Club

C itizens for Dairy Reform

Food & Water Watch

R io Valle Concerned Citizens

The information on this website has been compiled by Coalition members to help you understand the related environmental issues, the current state of the diary industry and policy in New Mexico, and to provide you with a way in which you can get involved. If after reading through the material contained here you want to become active in this effort, you'll find several ways you can engage in the section titled "Take Action" toward the bottom of this page. Also see Conservation Voters of New Mexico.

Recent Press

"ABOUT THE SMALL BUSINESS TASK FORCE", The Governors Small Business Task Force has generated a lengthy document stating what should be done within New Mexico to fix the "anti-business environment" claimed present by the Governor and her minions. Remember, this has been claimed to be for "Mom and Pop" industry, not for any industrial interests possibly outside the state. This document has many answers to the claimed "anti-business" regulatory issues and makes no mention of the removal of safeguards to you or your family, nor to any fouled and contaminated air and water that is already present in the state. From rolling back child care regulations to rescinding the dairy rules and many other public health regulations that are in place to protect us and our families and all those around us. The length and scope of those documents are more than this paragraph can present, please read the report from Tracy Dingmann. You can also download (pdf) the report.

Rescind, Revise, Repeal: Read This if You Care About Clean Water, Air and Land in New Mexico By Tracy Dingmann Back in February, we did an Inspection of Public Records Request of Gov. Susana Martinez’s office that revealed documents showing that her “Small Business-Friendly Task Force” is packed with big-industry lobbyists who carry a distinctly anti-regulatory agenda. ncluded in the documents was a “mid-point report” from the task force that contained a number of startling recommendations for the Governor regarding drastic rollbacks of environmental and construction rules. (more)

Are You Sitting Down? Here Are The Recommendations From The Gov’s “Small Business-Friendly” Task Force (By Tracy Dingmann)
When Gov. Susana Martinez wrote an executive order on Jan. 1 halting all pending state regulations and creating a “Small Business-Friendly Task Force” to review them, the group had 90 days to come up with a plan. Ostensibly, the task force was to consider each regulation and rule on its merits and then submit a fair and balanced report to the governor by April 1, detailing which rule the state could keep or scrap, except that’s not what’s been going on. (more)

Public Records Request Shows Gov’s “Small Business-Friendly Task Force” Met In Secret; Is Packed With Lobbyists for Oil and Gas, Mining and Dairy (by Tracy Dingmann) When Susana Martinez assumed the office of Governor on Jan. 1, she faced a clear choice. Would she protect New Mexico’s clean land, water and air by fighting to keep environmental regulations strong – or would she instead focus her energies on stalling, relaxing and eliminating regulations for certain wealthy, mostly out-of-state industries who contributed generously to her campaign? (more)

A matter of real occasion, HB225 (removes the WQCC) was presented yesterday and had 6-6 tie. We've called on the numbers and the claim is that since it was discussed and didn't pass, it will have to be somewhat re-written to try again. However, a call to protect the WQCC is probably our best chance for a livable environment.

Dairy industry helped write Martinez’s executive order. (By Matthew Reichbach) According to court documents, representatives from the dairy industry in New Mexico helped Susana Martinez with language in an executive order to halt pending and proposed regulations. The State Supreme Court ruled yesterday that Martinez could not halt the publication of a rule relating to the dairy industry or a rule related to capping greenhouse gas emissions. (more)

Numbers and email addresses. (original NMELC page) For pdf, click here.

Harrison Schmitt, Gov. Susana Martinez's nominee for Secretary of the state Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, is refusing to allow a Senate committee to do its own background check, threatening his Senate confirmation.

Sen. Linda Lopez, chairwoman of the Senate Rules Committee, which is charged with vetting gubernatorial nominees, said Thursday she had no choice but to recommend rejecting Schmitt's confirmation. Schmitt informed her Monday that he wouldn't sign a Senate Rules form that allows it to do its own background check. Read the article here.

Court Reverses New Mexico Governor on Environmental Rules. (New York Times, By FELICITY BARRINGER
The New Mexico Supreme Court’s rebuke to Susana Martinez, the state’s new governor was blunt. “No one is above the law,” the state’s chief justice, Charles W. Daniels, said Wednesday morning as he announced the high court’s decision to reinstate two environmental regulations that the governor had unilaterally blocked upon taking office earlier this month.

The New Mexico Dairy Industry has now filed an appeal against the Dairy Rule, stating this regulation would cause them to spend large amounts of money to clean up their act, and in their own words, "they won't be regulated, they'll do it themselves". New Mexico, (aka the "Land of Enchantment"), has become a state where many citizens cannot drink their own well water, and many more suffer sickness from toxic gases in the air from unregulated dairy operations.

After the court decision, a policy advisor for the New Energy Economy accused the Governor of acting on the behalf of oil and gas interests, saying “she is definitely in bed with industry.” (You can watch the soundbite here.)

See more here and here (Opens in new window) More suave soundbites about business in New Mexico.

Supreme Court orders Martinez to publish rules. The New Mexico Supreme Court ruled Wednesday morning that Gov. Susana Martinez’s administration was wrong to halt the publication of rules in the state Register and issued a writ that compels Martinez’s office to publish the rules. (by Matthew Reichbach)	Martinez’s pick for enviro chief: Environmentalists are communists . While appearing on radio host Alex Jones’ show in 2009, Harrison Schmitt said that leaders of the environmental movement are communists. (by Matthew Reichbach)

Environmental Rollback, Gov. Martinez Style By Tracy Dingmann “But you knew she was comin’!” Those of us New Mexicans who care about the environment and who know we need to regulate corporations to keep them from befouling our state all knew this was gonna happen, but it still doesn’t ease the offense.	New Mexico Environmental Law Center Sues New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez Over Printing of Environmental Rule By Tracy Dingmann We got it straight from the New Mexico Environmental Law Center, regarding those environmental rules Gov. Susana Martinez attempted to dismiss with the swipe of a pen: (Read More)
SANTA FE- The Environmental Alliance of New Mexico (EANM), a coalition of environmental organizations representing over 40,000 New Mexicans held a telephone press conference today to highlight their efforts to maintain sensible and responsible safeguards for the protection of all New Mexicans. (Read More)	Citizens Coalition Sues Governor In NM Supreme Court Over Printing Of New Dairy Rule By Tracy Dingmann Late today (Jan. 13) came news of the second suit filed in New Mexico Supreme Court against Gov. Susana Martinez over her move to halt printing of a regulation designed to protect New Mexicans from groundwater contamination. (Original Filing)

We wrote this governor a letter on December 16, 2010, and said "DEAR SUZANA" (Oh won't you care for me New Mexico?) (pdf version) We know they received it December 21, 2010. It has numerous phone numbers and email listings shown, there was no response!! Is this a Governor "FOR ALL THE PEOPLE", but not yet because the donators, many of them from out of state, have to be coddled first, or does this governor not understand that (1) there is no new water, (2) much of ours is polluted, and (3) the vast majority of this damaged water is around confined animal feeding operations (CAFO'S, re: by US-EPA) "DAIRIES", to be more specific. During all this many New Mexicans are hauling water in plastic bottles.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS We received a call from that Governors office Friday 21st from a very nice person. She informed us that the Governor was just really really really busy, and didn't have time to see us. The Supreme Commander has judged that we should (1) Go to the Environment Department with all our concerns and facts about ground and surface water, yes that's the one, the same one that just got it's budget cut by 30%; and (2) Possibly we could approach the Department of Agriculture about these serious issues as well.

All new laws from the NMED and WQCC and EIB and many more, are now moot if the governor has her way, and we're supposed to take our highly toxic problems to THEM WHO HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVELY STRIPPED OF THEIR AUTHORITY??

In Gods name, if anyone has any common sense, please step forward.

click (REGULATIONS? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKING REGULATIONS) click

NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR SUSANA MARTINEZ: Our Water's Polluted? Let Them Drink Milk! (NY Times article by Felicity Barringer)

RUCH DAIRY PERMIT DENIED Repeat and long term violator denied permit due to numerous NMED and WQA violations.

KUNM REPORT ON EFFECTIVE DAIRY REGULATIONS (by Jim Williams)

OLD MCDONALDS NIGHTMARE AARP (Interview with David Kirby, author of ‘Animal Factory: The Looming Threat of Industrial Pig, Dairy and Poultry Farms to Humans and the Environment’)

NEW ACTIONS DECEMBER 16TH, 2010. WQCC has adopted the full dairy regulation draft to put real regulatory authority up front and real control in the process, of permitting massive confined animal feeding operations (CAFO's) and controlling the great amounts of waste generated. Our sincere gratitude goes to all those commissioners and the countless days they've spent bringing this great day to New Mexico, as well as those dedicated public servants that have pushed this through to completion. Thanks to Cabinet Secretary Ron Curry, Division Chief Bill Olson, Marcy Leavitt, and the entire team.

Regional EPA Public Meeting held in Anthony The El Paso Border Office of the EPA, headed by Dr. Carlos Rincon, held a tri-state public meeting in Anthony, New Mexico on November 4, 2010. Anthony city councilwoman Betty Gonzalez made a strongly worded presentation about air, water, and land contamination stemming from "Dairy Row," (more)

Ground Water pollution abatement at "Dairy Row" put on hold by industry group, claims lies and deception by NMED have caused them to stop all action, filed appeal to Water Quality Control Commission against further abatement. Many hundreds of New Mexico citizens live in extreme hardship and sublevel conditions due to severe environmental contamination of their air, land, and water. Studies show health problems (Report) (Summary)

New Dairy regulations subject of NM water commission hearings

Dairy herds in New Mexico lead the nation with an average 2,088 cows per facility, and over 172 dairies state-wide. According to the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), almost two-thirds of the dairies in the state have exceeded groundwater pollution standards. New regulations are being considered that intend to prevent waste from seeping into groundwater.

New Mexico Dairy Pollution Sparks 'Manure War'

For every gallon of milk an average milk cow produces, it also produces roughly 3 gallons of manure making "manure management" the dairy industry's most pressing environmental challenge. In disposing this waste, workers either hose the material into a special lagoon, or it is collected and used as fertilizer. Due to the size of the dairy industry in New Mexico, over 5.4 million gallons of manure must be disposed of each day. NMED reports claim that two-thirds of the state's dairies are contaminating groundwater, either through leaking lagoons or manure that's applied too heavily onto farmland.

Cannon Air Force Base drinking water unsafe to drink; Environment Department issues 'boil water' advisory

The presence of high levels of the bacteria E. coli in the drinking water at the Cannon AF Base forced the state Environment Department to issue an advisory to the residence to boil all drinking water before consuming.

Got Milk? Yup; got manure too ...

New Mexico's leading agricultural enterprise is dairy, and the state is the 7th largest milk producer in the nation. However, these modern high-yield farms are causing concerns over the manner in which they handle the waste from these operations, how they are regulated, and the associated environmental impacts.

The Pew Commission Report on Industrial Farm Animal Production PCIFAP Staff Summary of Occupational and Community Public Health Impacts - what this really means to you from a health standpoint.	Environmentalists sue Outlook dairy over methanol emissions More citizens and groups are becoming involved in these environmental quagmires as it becomes more evident that State and Federal controls are insufficient for the job at hand.
An extended health report on conditions at Vado, areas along and close to "Dairy Row", the same dairies that are attempting to appeal their way out of cleaning up their own pollution.	Excitement is growing as citizens who've had enough of toothless and meaningless State and Federal Governments that have been unable to stop the spread of CAFO's. The Center to Expose & Close Animal Factories and its constituents are determined to end the sickening practice of animal factory production. (more)

General Resources

Socially Responsible Agricultural Project

A national non-profit organization that offers the knowledge and skills of a diverse team of experience agricultural experts in the US and Canada. These experts understand the challenges faced by rural communities, individual farmers, and ranchers.

Clearly New Mexico

A website that provides a forum to raise issues, stimulate debate and provide thoughtful analysis on the issues impacting the lives of citizens of New Mexico. The topic at this link discusses the issues related to water contamination issues related to dairy operations.

Closing the Food Gap

A blog site that's currently discussing the New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission and the testimony they are collecting on proposed changes to the state's dairy farm regulations.

Dairy Education Alliance

Provides a good description of Factory Farms as opposed to Socially Responsible Farms presented by the DEA, a national coalition of farmers, grass-roots activists, scientists, public interest lawyers and others working on environmental issues, social and economic problems associated with large dairy operations.

NEW MEXICO ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER

And then, the shame of an entire industry as well as the American food system.

Reports and Related Studies

Dairy Facility Regulation Development

New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) document repository containing notices, pleading logs, regulatory filings, and public presentations and correspondence.

Putting Meat on the Table: Industrial Farm Animal Production in America

A report of the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production that deals with the public health threats associated with industrial food animal production. Their findings give reason for concern over the impacts of industrial livestock facilities on public health, the environment, animal welfare, and rural communities.

Dairy Talking Points Fact Sheet

A collection of definitions for certain terms, phrases and concepts related to industrial dairy operations.

Dairy Feedlot Contributions to Groundwater Contamination - A Preliminary Study in New Mexico

A two-part research report on the environmental health impact that dairies have on local communities originally published in the Journal of Environmental Health, September 1999.

WQCC Documented Testimony

The following documents are copies of written testimony before the Water Quality Control Commission by several experts and span topics, and specific regulatory language specific to the proposed amendment to 20.6.2 NMAC Dairy Regulations. Several of these documents are quite large, and may take a moment to load into your browser.

Kathy Martin, Professional Civil Engineer

Daniel G. Lorimier, Sierra Club Conservation Coordinator

Kendall M. Thu, Professor at Northern Illinois University

Elanor Starmer, Western Region Director of Food & Water Watch

William C. Olson, Chief of NMED Groundwater Department

Rachel Conn, Policy Analyist Amigos Bravos

Coalition