Stuff you need to know, 3.16.23

“Senate committee passes nickel-per-drink increase in alcohol taxes”
by Ted Alcorn, New Mexico In Depth
March 15, 2023

Research has shown that making alcohol costlier is a way to reduce excess drinking, and supporters argued that a significant tax increase is necessary to combat New Mexico’s alcohol crisis. 

Click on the above link to read this free-access article.

“House sends budget bill to governor”
by Robert Nott, The Santa Fe New Mexican; reposted in NM Political Report

On a voice vote yesterday, the New Mexico House concurred with the Senate-amended and -passed House Bill 2. Only Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s signature is needed to approve the $9.57 billion budget.

Click on the above link to read this free-access article.

“EPA proposes first standards to make drinking water safer from ‘forever chemicals’”
by Jen Christensen, CNN
March 15, 2023

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed this week the first national drinking water standard for “forever chemicals” that are dangerous to human health. Under the rule, water systems would have to monitor for the presence of six specific synthetic chemicals that linger in the environment and the human body; notify the public about the levels of these chemicals in drinking water; and work to reduce them if levels go above the standard allowed.

Click on the above link to read this free-access article.

“Virgin Orbit pauses operations”
by Jeff Foust, SpaceNews
March 15, 2023

Launch vehicle company Virgin Orbit, a sister company to Spaceport Americas lead tenant Virgin Galactic, has paused its operations and furloughed its staff for at least a week as it deals with financial issues.

Click on the above link to read this free-access article.

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Diana Tittle
Diana Tittle

Diana Tittle, a member of the board of Sierra County Public-Interest Journalism Project, was the editor of the Sierra County Sun, the Citizen's precursor. A former resident of Truth or Consequences who now lives part-time in northern New Mexico, she spent her 42-year professional career in Cleveland, Ohio, where she worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine writer and editor, book author and publisher and publishing consultant. She is the recipient of a Cleveland Arts Prize for Literature.

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  1. As the story on polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) reveals, numerous states have already taken action to set their own standards for these contaminants ahead of the EPA’s effort to set a standard of 4 parts per trillion for drinking water Although New Mexico has not set standards, concern over the impact of contamination at three military bases has been growing in recent years. This link to the New Mexico Environment Department’s website on these contaminants helps us understand what has happened in our state in recent years.

    https://www.env.nm.gov/pfas/

    Our governor petitioned the EPA to do something in June of 2021.

    Significant levels of PFAS were found in groundwater near the closed Cannon Air Force Base at Clovis, New Mexico. A dairy next to the base was forced to close when very high PFAS levels were discovered in the groundwater. The chemicals contaminated the cows, their milk, and the use of the land, causing the closure of this business.

    Also, at Holloman Air Force Base near Alamogordo, New Mexico, elevated PFAS levels were found in mice and some water fowl using surface water near the Base. These studies performed by the University of New Mexico’s Museum of Southwestern Biology provide evidence that the firefighting PFAS compounds used at Holloman AFB, may have contaminated the soil, groundwater and animals living in the area.

    Despite the reason to be concerned about severe health effects, the military apparently does not plan to stop using these chemicals until October 2024.

    In some cases, the Department of Defense has taken a position that they are not responsible for contamination beyond their property boundaries. The military’s decision to keep using these dangerous chemicals and ignoring offsite impacts seems incredibly immoral to me – not much better than the little boy telling the homeowner that “The rock broke your window, not me”.

    Sources for PFAS forever chemicals, as pointed out in the story, are found in “water-repellent clothes, furniture and carpet, in nonstick pans, paints, cosmetics, cleaning products and food packaging, and in firefighting foams”. Cleaning up PFAS contaminated food, water, and lands will be one of the biggest challenges to ever face the United States and New Mexico. Stopping their use should be a priority.

    Multiple serious health effects are outlined in this 2021 PBS story by Laura Paskus. The story, which focuses on New Mexico, identifies 9 adverse health effects plus 4 types of cancer. The story also describes 5 canyons around Los Alamos National Labs where PFAS levels are of concern.

    Unfortunately, adverse health effects for some people may last forever. I know one person who lived at Holloman AFB as a teenager – not too far from all the jets and use of firefighting foam – whose thyroid gland had to be removed. We can only wonder if these terrible chemicals caused this tragic health impact to occur.

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