OPINION: Protecting creation means cleaning up the oil and gas mess

Fall in New Mexico stirs the senses — roasting chile in the breeze, balloons rising at dawn, golden aspen leaves, and the harvest of squash and corn. It’s a time when communities gather, give thanks and teach our children the deep rhythms of this land we call home.

Beginning in September, Christian communities around the world honor the Season of Creation, which concludes with the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, a patron saint of ecology, on Oct. 4. This year’s theme, “Peace with Creation,” lands heavily as we face another year of floods, droughts, wildfires and warming skies.

Here in New Mexico, we are blessed with extraordinary natural beauty. Yet, we also face harsh realities. Across rural and tribal communities, aging oil and gas wells — many long abandoned — are leaking dangerous toxins into our air, water and land. Methane, benzene and other pollutants don’t just harm wildlife and ecosystems; they threaten the very people and traditions that have cared for this place for generations.

This is a solvable problem. However, our current rules let corporations walk away from the mess they’ve made because the “insurance” they’re required to pay upfront — called bonding — is nowhere near enough to cover the real cost of cleanup.

According to the Legislative Finance Committee, it costs about $163,000 per well to safely plug and clean up a site. Yet under current rules, oil and gas corporations can post as little as $250,000 total, even if they operate dozens or hundreds of wells. When companies walk away or go bankrupt, the public is left with the bill — and the pollution.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Most New Mexicans agree that oil and gas companies — not taxpayers — should be responsible for cleanup. In fact, 89% of New Mexicans say companies should be required to post enough bond to cover the full cost.

This fall, we have an opportunity to change the rules and bring fairness back to the system. The New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission is considering updates that would require corporations to carry more realistic bonding — still a modest step by industry standards but a meaningful one for our communities and future generations.

Faith calls us to care for one another and for creation. As the late Pope Francis reminded energy executives, “Civilization requires energy, but energy use must not destroy civilization.”

In New Mexico, we don’t let our neighbors dump garbage on someone else’s land, and we shouldn’t allow corporations to leave behind rusting, leaking infrastructure that threatens our water and our way of life. Let’s rise to the moment with courage, compassion and common sense — and protect the blessings we’ve inherited by making sure they endure for those who come next.