from the Coalition to Protect America鈥檚 National Parks sounds the alarm on harm from oil and gas development on four national parks, calling on the federal government to do more to protect them. Half of the parks are in New Mexico, in the country.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park borders the Permian Basin, in the country. The report highlights threats to above- and below-ground resources at the site, which has more than 119 caves, along with potential dings to the state's tourism industry, due to poor air quality.
told the state Environment Department that the level of ozone at the park exceeds national standards and that 鈥� of all the parks it studied 鈥� the pollution at Carlsbad Caverns was the most impacted by oil and gas. , likely from a gas well, in the area in 2022.
The report is critical of the Environmental Protection Agency鈥檚 of naming the Permian Basin an ozone nonattainment area for exceeding federal air quality standards. Doing so would have further curbed emissions and potentially drilling in the area.
The report acknowledges that the state鈥檚 and draft rules from the Bureau of Land Management and Environmental Protection Agency are positive steps, but calls for an assessment of 鈥渢he cumulative risks鈥� posed by the industry.
Emily Wolf, New Mexico senior program coordinator with , is quoted in the report as saying an uptick in drilling in the Permian Basin is "wreaking havoc on air quality" in the region. She told 九色网 the state鈥檚 emissions rules are 鈥渘ation-leading,鈥� but said its regulators are limited by low capacity for enforcement, and that she鈥檇 like to see more be done in the Permian Basin.
鈥淗olding accountable oil and gas companies, and basically just dialing way back and halting these new leasing and oil and gas drilling operations,鈥� she said.
The report also highlights Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northwestern New Mexico, a sacred site for many tribes, as being at risk from gas companies drilling over 37,000 wells and building 15,000 miles of roads in the area. In addition to the cultural resources themselves, the report warns of threats to the area鈥檚 air, water and public health.
NASA found a methane hotspot in this region as well, in 2016 that the leak over the Four Corners was 鈥減rimarily associated with the production and transport of natural gas.鈥�
The Interior Department halting new leases for 20 years within 10-miles of the park, which the report calls 鈥渃ritical to resource protection,鈥� though it doesn鈥檛 apply to existing operations. New Mexico also has around the site, though it's due to expire at the end of this year.
The report also lists air quality at Colorado鈥檚 Rocky Mountain National Park and wildlife migration routes at Wyoming鈥檚 Grand Teton National Park as under threat by the extractive industry.
