Mission

The New Mexico Environment Department Air Quality Bureau has completed a draft exceptional events demonstration for periods exceeding federal air quality standards for particulate matter in southern New Mexico during calendar year 2021. This document demonstrates to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that dust storms generated by high winds, rather than man-made sources, caused exceedances of the national standard for particulate matter in the air. Without this demonstration, certain areas of the state would be in violation of federal standards and subject to stricter air quality rules and requirements designed to meet and maintain the standard in the future. The level of the federal air standards for particulate matter is protective of public health.

The New Mexico Environment Department is seeking public comment on the draft document through December 8, 2022. The document is available for review at the Environment Department’s field offices and on our website under the Luna and Dona Ana Counties tabs or by contacting the Department at (505) 629-3242.

For more information and to submit comments, please contact Armando Paz, Environmental Analyst, NMED Air Quality Bureau at (505) 629-3242 or at armando.paz@env.nm.gov.

EL DEPARTAMENTO DE MEDIO AMBIENTE DEL ESTADO SOLICITA COMENTARIOS DEL PÚBLICO SOBRE DEMOSTRACIONES DE EVENTOS EXCEPCIONALES

La Oficina de Calidad del Aire del Departamento de Medio Ambiente de Nuevo México ha completado el borrador de demostracion de eventos excepcionales para periodo que exceden los estándares federales de calidad del aire para material particulado en el sur de Nuevo México durante en el año naturales 2021. Este documento demuestra a la Agencia de Protección Ambiental de los Estados Unidos que las tormentas de polvo generadas por vientos fuertes, y no por fuentes artificiales, causaron excedencias del estándar nacional de material particulado. Sin esta demostración, algunas zonas del estado estarían incumpliendo los estándares federales y estarían sujetas a normas y requisitos de calidad del aire más estrictos diseñados para cumplir y mantener el estándar en el futuro. El nivel de los estándares federales del aire para el material particulado protege la salud pública.

El Departamento de Medio Ambiente de Nuevo México solicita comentarios del público sobre el borrador de el documento hasta el 8 de diciembre de 2022 inclusive. El documento está disponible para su revisión en las oficinas locales del Departamento de Medio Ambiente y en el sitio web bajo las pestañas de los Condados Luna y Doña Ana o comunicándose con el Departamento llamando al (505) 629-3242.

Para obtener más información y presentar comentarios, póngase en contacto con Armando Paz, analista medioambiental de la Oficina de Calidad del Aire del NMED, llamando al (505) 629-3242 o escribiendo a armando.paz@env.nm.gov.

• The 30-day comment period is open for this permit application. Visit the NMED website www.env.nm.gov and look for the Public Participation menu in the top right. Click Public Notices and look under Eddy County to see documents related to this permitting application. Click Public Comment Portal on the Public Participation menu to submit comments or use the link below.
• Link in box: https://nmed.commentinput.com/comment/search#

Para más información sobre el permiso preliminar, comuníquese con el integrante del personal asignado como contacto:
Jason Martinez
NMED SWQB Point Source Regulation Section
PO Box 5469
Santa Fe, NM 87502
jason.martinez2@env.nm.gov
505‐827‐0160

NMED SWQB aceptará comentarios escritos hasta el final del día hábil a las (5 p.m. MST) del lunes, 28 de noviembre de 2022.

Las personas que necesiten asistencia de lenguaje (por ejemplo, asistencia para un intérprete) o las personas que tengan una discapacidad o que necesiten ayuda para participar en este proceso público deberán comunicarse con:

Para más información sobre el permiso preliminar, comuníquese con el integrante del personal asignado como contacto:
Jason Martinez
NMED SWQB Point Source Regulation Section
PO Box 5469
Santa Fe, NM 87502
jason.martinez2@env.nm.gov
505‐827‐0160

NMED SWQB aceptará comentarios escritos hasta el final del día hábil a las (5 p.m. MST) del lunes, 28 de noviembre de 2022.

Las personas que necesiten asistencia de lenguaje (por ejemplo, asistencia para un intérprete) o las personas que tengan una discapacidad o que necesiten ayuda para participar en este proceso público deberán comunicarse con:

Description: The Water Conservation Fund (WCF) Report summarizes state fiscal year expenditures and accomplishments delivered by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) Drinking Water Bureau (DWB). This report provides accountability and transparency on how NMED administers the WCF. The actual expenditures and the benefits provided to public water systems throughout the State are described in this report.

Keywords: “Annual Report”; “Water Conservation Fund (WCF)”; "Drinking Water"

Owners, operators, and testers of petroleum storage tank systems, please email all required tank system test results to: PSTB.compliance@env.nm.gov with a copy to the facility inspector, if known, to allow for receipt and tracking of these reports. Report a suspected or confirmed leak or spill from a petroleum storage tank within 24 hours here (this includes failed or inconclusive test results). Send passing test results within 60 days of when they're done.

Please name the documents you send as follows:

[Facility ID#] [Owner ID#] [Facility name] [Type of Test] [Date of Test]

For example: 30211 53489 Jack’s Quick Mart ATG Test 2021-06-25

The facility ID# and Owner ID# are on the registration certificates you receive after you pay your tank fees every year or may be found in the storage tank lists available near the bottom of the main PSTB (Petroleum Storage Tank Bureau)  webpage, https://www.env.nm.gov/petroleum_storage_tank/.

Information that must be included in reports:

1. facility name and address;
   (2) facility ID number;
   (3) owner and operator name and address;
   (4) owner ID number;
   (5) date report was completed;
   (6) date of the test;
   AND MORE. See 20.5.107.715.D NMAC and others referred to below.

PLEASE ALSO INCLUDE TANK ID #

New Mexico's Petroleum Storage Tank Regulations are at 20.5 NMAC. You can look up different parts at https://www.srca.nm.gov/chapter-5-petroleum-storage-tanks/ or download the whole book here.

If you are unable to email required test results to PSTB.compliance@env.nm.gov, mail them to: Testing Results, PSTB, 2905 Rodeo Park Drive East, Building 1, Santa Fe, NM 87505.The Petroleum Storage Tank Regulations (20.5 NMAC) that were adopted by the Environmental Improvement Board on May 25, 2018 and effective July 24, 2018 require that most test result reports be sent to the Petroleum Storage Tank Bureau:

• Storage tank system owners and operators must provide the department all reports as required in 20.5.107 NMAC within 60 days of completion of the tests (20.5.107.715.B NMAC). Owners and operators must report any failed tests or inspections to the department within 24 hours of completion of the test or inspection in accordance with 20.5.118 NMAC (20.5.107.715.C NMAC). 20.5.107.715.D NMAC lists what must be included in the reports. Similar requirements are outlined in 20.5.108.816 NMAC, 20.5.110.1016 NMAC, and 20.5.111.1112 NMAC.
• Failing or abnormal results of ANY test or monitoring result, including investigation of an alarm, are signs of a suspected release, and owners, installers, junior installers, and testers must report these within 24 hours both by sending them to PSTB.Compliance@env.nm.gov with a cc to the PSTB inspector AND by contacting the Leak of the Week listed here: https://cloud.env.nm.gov/waste/pages/download.php?direct=1&ref=13965&size=&ext=pdf or by calling (505) 827-9329 outside of state business hours if it's an emergency. Owners and operators must also investigate these suspected releases within seven (7) days of discovery and conduct appropriate testing, site check, etc. (20.5.118.1801 NMAC).
• Unless an owner or operator shows within 30 days that a release that was reported as a suspected release is not a release, it will be treated as a confirmed release, and you must comply with 20.5.118 NMAC and 20.5.119 or 120 NMAC, including taking corrective action, for confirmed releases.

Other requirements pertaining to testing of tanks include:

• A qualified tester must perform the first test or inspection of existing spill and overfill prevention equipment and interstitial monitoring containment sumps by July 24, 2021. (5.105 NMAC; 20.5.106.613 NMAC, 20.5.107.704, 707, & 714 NMAC, 20.5.108.811 & 813 NMAC, 20.5.109.910 NMAC, 20.5.110.1005 & 1015 NMAC).
• If you have a UST and/or piping that uses ATG (automatic tank gauging)(only allowed on USTs and/or piping installed before April 4, 2008), a qualified tester must test it at least annually by July 24, 2021 . (20.5.105 NMAC; 20.5.108.805 NMAC, 20.5.108.815 & 816 NMAC).

Helpful brochures to explain many requirements of the regulations are available at: https://www.env.nm.gov/petroleum_storage_tank/guidance-documents-ast-and-ust/