ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico has reached a record settlement with a Texas-based company over air pollution violations at natural gas gathering sites in the Permian Basin.
The $24.5 million agreement with Ameredev announced Monday is the largest settlement the state Environment Department has ever reached for a civil oil and gas violation. It stems from the flaring of billions of cubic feet of natural gas that the company had extracted over an 18-month period but wasn’t able to transport to downstream processors.
Environment Secretary James Kenney said in an interview that the flared gas would have been enough to have supplied nearly 17,000 homes for a year.
“It’s completely the opposite of the way it’s supposed to work,” Kenney said. “Had they not wasted New Mexico’s resources, they could have put that gas to use.”
The flaring, or burning off of the gas, resulted in more than 7.6 million pounds of excess emissions that included hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and other gases that state regulators said are known to cause respiratory issues and contribute to climate change.
Ben Whishaw lights up the Croisette as he joins his co
Think diplomacy is tough? Try a White House state dinner
Ombudsman decries lack of change in prisons since Covid
Brazil's new national minimum wage comes into force
Inquiry slams UK authorities for failures that killed thousands in infected blood scandal
Biden hosts Japanese, Philippine leaders to discuss China’s aggression
What happened to Hu Jintao? Xi Jinping takes firmer control of China
Brazilian power generation expands by 10,300 MW in 2023
Inquiry slams UK authorities for failures that killed thousands in infected blood scandal
Joe Biden says US 'considering' dropping pursuit of Julian Assange
Supreme Court rejects an appeal from a Canadian man once held at Guantanamo
Brazil and Italy analyze international payment management rules