Phone Numbers / Social Media
Phone Numbers / Social Media
Our mission is to protect and restore the environment and to foster a healthy and prosperous New Mexico for present and future generations. We implement our mission guided by four tenets:
Using the best available science to inform our decision-making in protecting public health and the environment.
Employing creative engineering and technological solutions to address environmental challenges.
Engaging communities and interested stakeholders in environmental decision-making outcomes.
Ensuring meaningful compliance with state regulations and permits; leveling the playing field through enforcement.
NMED does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age or sex in the administration of its programs or activities. To learn more or to file a complaint, visit our Equity webpage.
El Departamento de Medio Ambiente de Nuevo México (NMED, por su sigla en inglés) no discrimina por motivos de raza, color, origen nacional, discapacidad, edad o sexo en la administración de sus programas o actividades. Para obtener más información o para presentar una queja visite Equity webpage.
Sep 29, 2023
Sep 27, 2023
Comments and Testimony
September 29, 2023
NMED Presentation to the Transportation and Infrastructure Revenue Subcommittee on the Clean Cars and Trucks Rule for New Mexico
September 15, 2023
NMED Presentation to the Radioactive and Hazardous Materials Committee on Policy Issues in Nuclear Medicine
NMED Presentation to the Radioactive and Hazardous Materials Committee on the White Sands Test Facility Cleanup and Restorative Measures
September 14, 2023
Bipartisan, multistate letter to Congress regarding the impact of Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending on the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds
September 6, 2023
New Mexico Environment Department letter to Michael Mikolanis and Arturo Duran regarding corrective action under DP-1835 associated with the chromium plume
NMED Presentation to the Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee on the Kirtland Air Force Base jet Fuel Cleanup
September 1, 2023
New Mexico Environment Department letter to the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration outlining our Fiscal Year 2025 budget priorities and request
Happening Now
30-day Public Comment Period: DCP Operating Company LP/ Phillips 66 – Zia II Gas Plant Air Quality Operating Permit Application P270-R1
60-Day Public Comment Period: NMED Statement of Basis Material Disposal Area-C
The Department of Energy (DOE) submitted the Corrective Measures Evaluation Report for Material Disposal Area (MDA) C, Solid Waste Management Unit 50-009, at Technical Area 50, Revision 1 (CME), on June 30, 2021. The CME fulfills a proposed 2021 fiscal year Appendix B milestone under the Los Alamos National Laboratory 2016 Consent Order (CO). The CME presented the results of the investigation activities and evaluated the remediation technology alternatives and also provided DOE’s preferred technology recommendation. The CME evaluated five alternatives, including no activity, referred to in the CME as Alternatives 1, 2, 3A, 3B, and 4. DOE recommended Alternative 3B, which is a combination of an evapotranspiration (ET) cover, soil-vapor extraction, and institutional controls. TThis corrective measure would include the installation of an ET cover over Material Disposal Area (MDA) C to prevent precipitation from infiltrating into the MDA and transporting solid and liquid wastes into the environment. The subsurface data indicates that VOCs and tritium have already been released into the environment and were proposed to be addressed with the installation of a soil vapor extraction system.
In accordance with the 2016 Compliance Order on Consent (CO) Section XVII, NMED is selecting a remedy based on the information presented in the CME Report, and RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI) reports. NMED may choose a different remedy from what was recommended in the CME Report and is issuing this Statement of Basis and the public notice to provide an opportunity for public comment.
For maximum protection of human health and the environment and to ensure that the drinking water resource can be conservatively protected, NMED has determined that the selected remedy for MDA C must consist of waste excavation, characterization, and appropriate disposal of the buried waste. The selected remedy will also include an active and passive soil-vapor extraction (SVE) system to remove the VOC contamination detected in the soil pore gas, and plume monitoring and institutional controls. Excavation will ensure that the source of contamination at MDA C is removed, and the SVE system will mitigate and control vadose zone vapor phase contamination. Detailed information on this selection can be found in the Statement of Basis.
The Statement of Basis, the CME, and related documents along with the 2016 Consent Order, may be reviewed at the following location:
NMED—Hazardous Waste Bureau, 2905 Rodeo Park Drive East, Building 1, Santa Fe, NM 87505-6303 or on the NMED website under Material Disposal Area C Statement of Basis at: https://www.env.nm.gov/hazardous-waste/lanl/.
Should you need additional information regarding the Statement of Basis, please contact Neelam Dhawan at neelam.dhawan@env.nm.gov or at (505) 690-5469. To obtain a copy of any of these documents, please contact NMED by calling (505) 476-6000.
NMED will accept public comment on the Statement of Basis for 60-days. Any person who wishes to comment on the proposed Statement of Basis should submit written comments, along with their name and address, to the NMED Hazardous Waste Bureau, 2905 Rodeo Park Drive, Building 1, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87505-6303. Electronically by sending comments to the NMED Public Comment Portal, or by email to neelam.dhawan@env.nm.gov. Only written comments received by 5:00 p.m. MDT, November 6, 2023, will be considered by NMED in making a final decision.
Training: Basic Financial Management for Water Systems
As a member of the governing body, you have very important financial responsibilities, including establishing financial policy, planning for the system’s financial future, preparation and adoption of budgets, monitoring and oversight of financial performance, and ensuring accountability and integrity of the financial system. The goal of good financial management is to ensure that your utility is operated as a financially sustainable enterprise while providing safe and reliable water, both in the short- and long-term, to your utility’s customers. Topics include:
St. Francis of Assisi Feast Day: Nambe Pueblo
Reunión pública virtual sobre regulaciones para Autos Limpios Avanzados y Camiones Limpios Avanzados
Reunión pública sobre las reglas propuestas para Autos Limpios Avanzados, Camiones Limpios Avanzados y Ómnibus de Bajo Óxido Nitroso (NOx). El personal de NMED facilitará esta reunión y responderá las preguntas de los asistentes.
Virtual Public Meeting on Advanced Clean Cars and Advanced Clean Trucks Regulations