November 5, 2025
To: New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission
Re: Support for Proposed Bonding Rule Updates – Case No. 24683
Dear Members of the Oil Conservation Commission,
As local elected officials from communities across New Mexico, we write to express our strong support for the proposed rule changes to modernize oil and gas bonding requirements in Case No. 24683.
Our communities live with the legacy of thousands of oil and gas wells, many of which sit idle or are already abandoned. When wells are not properly plugged and restored, they pose real risks to our air, water, and public health. They also leave taxpayers and public funds vulnerable to billions in cleanup costs that should have been covered by the corporations that profited from the land.
We believe the proposed rule is a necessary and responsible update that will:
Ensure the oil and gas industry–not the public–covers the true cost of cleanup
Encourage responsible well management and discourage speculative leasing or low-capitalized operators
Protect local air and water from the risks of long-idled or abandoned wells
Strengthen financial assurances and rules so that cleanup actually happens–when it’s needed, not decades later
This is not about punishing good actors. It is about restoring the balance of responsibility and accountability–so that no New Mexican community is left with unsafe infrastructure and no funds to fix it.
We also believe these updates help preserve the long-term viability of our public lands and energy future. Clear, modern rules support predictability and fairness–for communities and corporations alike.
As local leaders, we are on the front lines when things go wrong–whether it’s a leaky well near a school, polluted groundwater affecting livestock, or a community struggling to recover from boom-and-bust cycles. We urge you to adopt these rules to help ensure New Mexicans are not left behind when the industry moves on.
Thank you for your service and for considering this important action.
Sincerely,
Angel Charley
State Senator, District 30
Carrie Hamblen
State Senator, District 38
Cindy Nava
State Senator, District 9
Micaelita Debbie O’Malley
State Senator, District 13
Harold Pope Jr.
State Senator, District 23
Antoinette Sedillo Lopez
State Senator, District 16
Liz Stefanics
State Senator, District 39
Mimi Stewart
State Senate President Pro Tem, District 17
Eleanor Chavez
State House Representative, District 26
Matthew McQueen
State House Representative, District 50
Kristina Ortez
State House Representative, District 42
Andrea Romero
State House Representative, District 46
Patricia Roybal Caballero
State House Representative, District 13
Diane Torres-Velasquez
State House Representative, District 30
Tammy Fiebelkorn
Albuquerque City Councilor
Eric Olivas
Bernalillo County Commissioner
Becky Corran
Las Cruces City Councilor
GloJean Todacheene
San Juan County Commissioner
Max Trujillo
San Miguel County Commissioner, District 3
Hank Hughes
Santa Fe County Commissioner
Alma Castro
Santa Fe City Councilor
Albert Jaramillo
Sunland Park City Councilor
Anjanette Brush
Taos County Commissioner
Darien Fernandez
Taos Town Councilor
Genevieve Oswald
Taos Town Councilor