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The September 2 EJC Membership Meeting will feature Colin Cox, attorney for the Center on Biological Diversity ("CBD"), and Mariel Nanasi, the executive director of and attorney for New Energy Economy ("NEE"). Colin will explain the petition that CBD recently filed at the state Supreme Court to stop Jupiter's use of water from an emergency well wrongfully permitted by the State Engineer. Mariel will explain the pause in the air permitting proceedings before the corporate-biased New Mexico Environment Department ("NMED") and the Environmental Improvement Board ("EIB").
The state agencies and Project Jupiter's developers must respond to both petitions by September 2. In the petition involving the State Engineer, CBD correctly challenges the illegal issuance of an emergency permit because the State Engineer "... violated its non-discretionary duty to hold a hearing" to determine whether the new "emergency" well and using water from it are for or against the public interest. In NEE's petition involving NMED, NEE correctly challenges the illegal administrative proceedings on several grounds, including NMED and EIB going forward with the permitting process even though the developers have failed to establish and/or disclose a viable energy source after the State Land Commissioner "twice denied" Project Jupiter developers' applications for right-of-way and lease agreements needed to construct a natural gas pipeline to a proposed electricity microgrid on the grounds that it "would impose substantial environmental costs while providing minimal public benefit."
Come to the membership meeting this Wednesday to learn about these cases from those who filed them. We will also brainstorm about how to support the people of Santa Teresa, the frontline community where Project Jupiter is being built.
We will also hear from candidate for House District 32 , Laura Parra, running in Deming and seeking EJC endorsement.
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