Public participation is a central part of any successful regulatory agency’s work. The Office of Public Facilitation (OPF) conducts fair and impartial public hearings for the Environment Department. The OPF is an independent unit within the Office of the Secretary, and is staffed by a full time Administrative Law Judge, a Board and Commission Administrator, and a Hearing Clerk.
Matters before boards, commissions or the Secretary are documented on the Docketed Matters page.
These staff facilitate a variety of proceedings that include public participation, including board and commission meetings and rulemaking and administrative hearings, which may go before a board, commission, or the Environment Department Secretary.
Examples of matters that are decided by the Environment Department Secretary include appeals of air quality, groundwater discharge, public drinking water, hazardous waste, solid waste, radiation machine, food service, liquid waste and swimming pool permits issued by NMED.
Once a decision is made by the Environment Department Secretary, air quality and groundwater discharge permits may be appealed to the Environmental Improvement Board and Water Quality Control Commission, respectively.
Additional information about boards and commissions, including membership and meeting agendas, are available here.