Environmentalists are expressing disappointment over what they perceive as New Mexico's lack of action regarding oil spills.

Environmental advocates, who had previously commended New Mexico's implementation of regulations aimed at reducing oilfield spills, have accused the state of failing to adequately enforce these measures.
During a meeting on Thursday, the Oil Conservation Division was criticized for a 16% rise in spills of wastewater and other pollutants from drilling activities in 2022.
Last year, the division only gave out eight notices for violating their water regulations, according to their statement.
The rise in oil and gas spills is happening during a period of growth in the Permian Basin, which covers areas of West Texas and southeastern New Mexico.
The state of New Mexico has become the top producer due to the production carried out on its side.
The second largest oil producer in the United States.
A legal battle is underway regarding oil and gas drilling in New Mexico, with the state's constitution at the center of the dispute. Environmentalists have expressed concern to the commission responsible for overseeing the state agency, stating that companies that violate pollution regulations face minimal consequences and there is no accountability for the lack of enforcement.
Melissa Troutman from WildEarth Guardians informed the commission that if the goal is to ensure that operators comply, it is evident that the current approach of OCD is ineffective as the issue is deteriorating.
The agency responded to inquiries from environmental groups regarding compliance and enforcement, stating that the increase in spills was not the anticipated outcome despite the implementation of strict regulations aimed at reducing them.
The commission was informed by officials that they carried out approximately 31,000 inspections in the previous year. They also issued a total of 74 notices for various violations such as breaking water rules, environmental hazards, operational problems, failure to report, and inactive wells that were not properly sealed.
According to data from the division, the enforcement actions and notices issued in the past year aim to collect civil penalties exceeding $11 million.
In 2022, after conducting inspections, the division issued 2,561 notices for field compliance. Oil and gas operators responded by taking action to resolve over two-thirds of these notices.
The leading regulatory recruit of the New Mexico governor has withdrawn from involvement in an energy merger. However, environmentalists believe that the repercussions are insufficient to discourage those who repeatedly violate regulations.
The operators have the freedom to decide what and how much to report, which implies that state regulators may not always be aware of the spills.
On Friday, an email was sent to the state agency requesting a comment, but no response was received.
During the meeting on Thursday, authorities mentioned that the department is making efforts to enhance their reporting system to display the progress of investigations and the measures being taken by operators to adhere to regulations.
Environmental activists took legal action against New Mexico, claiming that the state was not fulfilling its constitutional obligations to prevent contamination of air and water.
During the meeting held on Thursday, the attendees pointed out that the absence of sanctions imposed by oil regulatory authorities was used as an illustration.
To obtain the FOX NEWS APP, click on the provided link. Recently, two producers operating in the basin were fined millions of dollars by federal regulators for violating emissions regulations.
The U.S. faced sanctions subsequently.
The EPA utilized an infrared camera that was specifically designed to identify the release of hydrocarbon vapors.