Welcome to the Amigos Bravos Take Action center.

Here you will be able to find the necessary information, tools and resources to Take Action on issues effecting you.

Please take the time to read the information below and if you would like to let your voice be heard, click on an action below.

Take Action Email Form:

Triennial Review — December 16, 2009

Previous Actions:

Thank you for the opportunity to provide public comments regarding New Mexico’s Water Quality Standards for the Triennial Review.  I support the changes proposed by Amigos Bravos.  Specifically:

1.  I support the revised definition of “perennial” which ensures that waters that may be impacted by climate change continue to receive the appropriate protections.

2.  I oppose the limited aquatic life use and urge the Commission to remove this use from the standards. The limited aquatic life use is not necessary as segment specific criteria could be used in  limited situations. The presence of a whole separate use with special weaker standards only encourages downgrading water qualiy standards. 

3. I support the Amigos Bravos proposal to include criteria for plutonium, americium and tritium in order to protect public water supplies along the Rio Grande.  The health-based criteria for these radionuclides address impacts from their migration from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to waters soon to serve large populations living along the Rio Grande.. In order to protect public health and the environment, I support setting the more protective standard based on a cancer risk factor of one erson per one million people, as per Amigos Bravos' proposal. 

4. I support including a water quality standard for perchlorate in 20.6.4.900.J.  In order to protect public health and safety, New Mexico should adopt a perchlorate standard of 1 microgram per Liter (ug/L) for domestic water supply.  Criteria for irrigation, wildlife habitat and livestock watering should be developed as well.  New Mexico has increasing problems with perchlorate contamination as is evidenced by the numerous perchlorate hits in both ground and surface water in the past ten years.  Although there is currently no federal drinking water standard for perchlorate, the EPA has considered a reference dose of 1ug/L for perchlorate in drinking water.

5. I strongly support ensuring that intermittent waters on Los Alamos National Laboratory property are protected with the same standards as other intermittent waters in the state. Currently the state standards apply weaker protections to LANL intermittent waters. The Commission should ensure that LANL is not given special, weaker standards. 

6. I oppose the lack of new water quality standards for Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs). EPA’s lack of action to protect public health from PPCPs by not setting national standards does not excuse the Commission from its duty to protect New Mexico water quality and public health. I urge the Commission to adopt water quality standards for key PPCPs such as sulfamethoxazole, loxacin, DEET, TDCPP, caffeine, and tris (2-chlorethyl) phosphate, all of which have been detected in New Mexico’s waters. 

7. I oppose toxic mixing zones.  Mixing zones for toxic substances such as found on the chart at 20.6.4.900 J should be prohibited.

Urge New Mexico's Congressional Delegation to Support the Clean Water Restoration Act.

The Clean Water Restoration Act is THE most important piece of federal legislation that would restore crucial water quality protections to New Mexico’s waters.

Recent decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court and federal agencies have created confusion about whether certain waters will remain protected by the Clean Water Act – the nation's most important law limiting water pollution. As an arid state with many small rivers and streams that do not flow year round, up to 94% of New Mexico’s waters are at risk of losing Clean Water Act protections.

New Mexico is much more at risk of losing critical clean water protections than other wetter states. At risk include waters in closed basins, which make up 20% of New Mexico’s land area, as well as smaller non-perennial rivers and streams. Many New Mexicans depend upon water in these closed basins and intermittent streams for drinking water, irrigation, and recreation. New Mexico’s Playa Lakes, which provide drinking water and habitat for 59% of New Mexico’s vertebrate species, are also threatened.

The Clean Water Restoration Act would restore Clean Water Act protections that applied to New Mexico’s rivers and streams before the recent Supreme Court decisions. These protections were in place for almost 30 years, and we desperately need them back! Please call Mayor Chávez and urge him to support the Clean Water Restoration Act.

Call and/or email your Senators and Congressman and let them know how important the Clean Water Restoration Act is for protecting New Mexico’s rivers and streams.

The message is simple: Here is what you can say – Please support the Clean Water Restoration Act of 2009 (S1870) NOW. The Clean Water Restoration Act will provide environmental protection for ALL of our nation’s waters. The Act will ensure protection of waterways in all of the communities in New Mexico. The House and Senate need to pass this bill ASAP.

Thank you very much for taking action to protect clean water.

We would appreciate hearing about your telephone conversations with Members of Congress and staffers. You can send any and all reports to Rachel Conn with Amigos Bravos at rconn@amigosbravos.org. The information you send will be used to help pass the bill.

For more information about our current efforts, please contact:

Rachel Conn
(575) 758.3874

rconn@amigosbravos.org