WildEarth Guardians

Friday, January 11, 2008
Governor Richardson Praised For Issuing Six-Month Moratorium On Gas Development In Santa Fe County

WildEarth Guardians Says County Should Follow Governors Lead
Contact: WildEarth Guardians

Santa Fe, NM - New Mexico Governor and former presidential candidate Bill Richardson todaymade a statement directing the Oil Conservation Division not to process applications to drill for oiland gas in Santa Fe County. The order puts a hold on plans by Tecton Energy, a Houston, TXbased energy company to begin drilling this spring. The Governor had previously expressed hisskepticism about whether or not gas drilling could occur in the County without causing severeharm to the Region’s natural and cultural resources.

WildEarth Guardians praised the Governor for his leadership on the issue and supports his decision todirect the Oil Conservation Division not to process applications for the next six months for all oiland gas drilling within Santa Fe County.

“It’s clear that Tecton Energy was trying to intimidate the Santa Fe County Commission andsteamroll the massive public opposition to their drilling plans,” said John Horning, ExecutiveDirector at WildEarth Guardians. “We needed the Governor to slow this process down and let Tectonknow that business as usual for the oil and gas industry won’t work here in the greater Santa Fearea,” Horning added.

“We applaud Governor Richardson for intervening in this matter and for being responsive to thewill of the people,” said Horning. “We hope this signals the beginning of new political will at alllevels-local, federal and state-to reign in the oil and gas industry. Not just here in Santa Fe, butall across the State of New Mexico.”

WildEarth Guardians believes that the Santa Fe County Commission should follow GovernorRichardson’s example and postpone a hearing scheduled for January 22 on revisions to a Santa FeCounty oil and gas ordinance. Horning says the County should give citizens more opportunity toorganize technical experts to analyze and identify concerns with potential energy development.

WildEarth Guardians previously had spearheaded a request by a coalition of groups that had askedTecton to voluntarily withdraw its applications for permit to drill in Santa Fe County so that theCounty and the State would have more time to evaluate the potential impacts of oil and gasdevelopment. Tecton chose to deny that request. Now the county and the state will have more timeand therefore should do more to comprehensively analyze what public values are threatened buyoil and gas development in the Galisteo Basin and potentially all across Santa Fe County.