Laura: MAGGIE HART STEBBINS, WELCOME TO NEW  MEXICO IN FOCUS.

Stebbins: IT IS GREAT TO  BE HERE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR INVITING  ME.

Laura:   LET'S START WITH YOUR OFFICE.

WHAT IS THE MISSION OF THE NEW MEXICO NATURAL RESOURCES  TRUSTEE?

Stebbins: IN 2019,  GOVERNOR LUJAN GRISHAM APPOINTED ME TO BE NEW  MEXICO'S NATURAL RESOURCES TRUSTEE.

WHAT OUR OFFICE DOES IS WE SUE POLLUTERS.

WHEN THERE IS RELEASE OF SOME KIND OF HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE INTO  NEW MEXICO'S ENVIRONMENT, THE ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT PLAYS THE  ROLE OF MAKING SURE THAT GETS CLEANED UP TO A HEALTH BASED  STANDARD.

THEN THE OFFICE OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES TRUSTEE  REACHES OUT TO THE PARTY THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT RELEASE OF  CONTAMINATION AND WE ASK FOR COMPENSATION FOR THE COMMUNITY  FOR THE INJURY THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE TO NATURAL RESOURCES.

SO NATURAL RESOURCES, GROUNDWATER, SURFACE WATER,  DRINKING WATER, WILDLIFE HABITAT, ANY PART OF THE  NATURAL, YOU KNOW, BIOLOGICAL COMMUNITY THAT EXISTS IN A  PLACE.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE ARE VERY  COMPLIMENTARY AND PARTNER WITH THE ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT BUT  OUR ROLE REALLY IS TO MAKE SURE THAT NEW MEXICANS ARE  COMPENSATED WHEN THEY HAVE SUFFERED A LOSS OF ACCESS TO  THEIR NATURAL RESOURCES.

Laura: YOUR OFFICE ANNOUNCED  A SETTLEMENT INVOLVING FORT WINGATE  WITH THE U.S. GOVERNMENT ON BEHALF OF THE U.S. ARMY.

FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH FORT WINGATE, IT  IS A 15,000 ACRE DEPOT THAT THE ARMY STARTED USING IN THE 19TH  CENTURY, USED THROUGH THE 90'S AND I GUESS IT IS STILL USED FOR  MISSILE LAUNCHING ACTIVITIES.

SO, WHAT IS THE SETTLEMENT THAT  YOUR OFFICE WAS WORKING THROUGH WITH THE U.S. GOVERNMENT AND THE  ZUNI TRIBE AND NAVAJO NATION?

Stebbins: FORT WINGATE  WAS USED FOR DECADES TO STORE MUNITIONS AND DESTROY  OBSOLETE MUNITIONS.

SO, THERE WERE RELEASES OF  CONTAMINATION INTO THE WATER, INTO THE SOIL   AND DESTRUCTION OF HABITAT.

AND SO IN 2008, MY PREDECESSOR, JIM BACA, WHEN HE WAS NATURAL  RESOURCES TRUSTEE, HE BEGAN THE PROCESS OF BRINGING A NATURAL  RESOURCES DAMAGE CLAIM AGAINST THE ARMY.

SO THIS STARTED IN 2008 AND THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF WORK  DONE TO EVALUATE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ARMY, ACTUALLY, IT WAS  A COOPERATIVE ASSESSMENT, TO EVALUATE WHAT IS THE EXTENT OF  THE DAMAGE AND THEN WORK DONE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE  TO BRING THESE NATURAL RESOURCES BACK TO THE ORIGINAL CONDITION.

THAT IS OUR MISSION AT ONRT, TO BRING NATURAL RESOURCE BACK TO  THE CONDITION THEY WERE IN BEFORE CONTAMINATION.

SO, THIS WORK BETWEEN 2008 AND 2012, THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK  DONE, AGAIN, THE ZUNI TRIBE, NAVAJO NATION, THE BIA, WAS  ENGAGED IN THAT DECISION, WILDLIFE SERVICE AND FOREST  SERVICE IN THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN TO  COMPENSATE THE COMMUNITY AND BRING RESOURCES BACK TO THEIR  ORIGINAL CONDITION.

IN 2012 THERE WAS A CONSENT  DECREE THAT WAS AGREED UPON IN PRINCIPLE AND SO FOR THE LAST  MANY YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING TO   GET ALL THE SIGNATURES, GET THAT FINALIZED.

THAT WAS FILED IN FEDERAL COURT JUST A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.

SO THERE IS A 30-DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD SO ANYONE WHO IS  INTERESTED CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE,   CLICK ON THE FORT WINGATE LINKS AND SEE WHAT THAT  CONSENT DECREE IS AND IT INVOLVES A PAYMENT OF ABOUT  1.4 MILLION THAT WILL BE USED TO COMPENSATE PAST COSTS AND PAY  FOR FUTURE RESTORATION PROJECTS.

Laura: SO, WHEN I LOOK  THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL CLEAN-UP DOCUMENT, THERE IS LIKE  THINGS LIKE EXPLOSIVES, PERCHLORATE, NITRATE, PCB'S,  PESTICIDES, LIKE ALL KINDS OF CONTAMINATION OUT THERE.

HOW MUCH OF THAT HAS BEEN CLEANED UP ALREADY AND HOW MUCH  IS STILL LIKE A WORK IN PROGRESS?

Stebbins: I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBERS ON THAT.

ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT, NEW MEXICO ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT,  THEIR HAZARDOUS WASTE BUREAU IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT ELEMENT OF  IT.

OUR PIECE IS SEPARATE AND  INDEPENDENT OF THAT.

Laura: SO THAT  1.4 MILLION THAT YOU MENTIONED, LIKE WHAT DOES  THAT GO TOWARD?

BECAUSE WHEN I THINK OF LIKE THE  SCALE OF THE POLLUTION OUT THERE, THAT DOESN'T, LIKE  1.4 MILLION DOESN'T SEEM LIKE ENOUGH TO CLEAN IT UP OR FIX IT.

WHAT DOES THAT 1.4 MILLION GO TOWARD?

Stebbins: I THINK THE 1.4 MILLION-DOLLARS, THERE  IS ABOUT 1.2 MILLION THAT IS FOR FUTURE RESTORATION  PROJECTS AND SO THAT CAN BE -- ANYTHING THAT BENEFITS  WATER QUALITY, WATER AVAILABILITY, SO THAT CAN BE  LIKE, FREE OUT OF SIGHT REMOVAL, CUTTING OFF CURRENT  SOURCES OF POLLUTION THAT CONTINUE TO DEGRADE THE  WATER QUALITY.

THERE IS ABOUT 120,000 FOR  CULTURAL LOSSES AND SO, I THINK, WE WILL DEFER TO ZUNI TRIBE AND  NAVAJO NATION TO DETERMINE HOW THEY WANT THAT MONEY TO BE USED  AND THEN THERE IS PART OF THAT SETTLEMENT IS PAST ONRT COSTS OR  ACTUALLY PAST TRUSTEE COSTS, ALL OF OUR CO-TRUSTEES HAVE INCURRED  COSTS AND THEN THIS FUTURE COST OF PUTTING TOGETHER A  RESTORATION PLAN.

Laura: WE HAVE TALKED A  COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, THE PENTAGON HAD ADDED FORT WINGATE  TO ITS LIST OF POSSIBLE LOCATIONS WHERE PFAS SUBSTANCES  HAD BEEN RELEASED.

DID THE PENTAGON EVER COMPLETE  THAT STUDY?

DO WE KNOW IF THERE IS PFAS OUT  THERE AS PART OF THE CONTAMINATION?

Stebbins: NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE.

THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT WE HAVE NOW REALLY COVERS KNOWN SOURCES  OF CONTAMINATION OR KNOWN CONTAMINATION.

PFAS, YOU KNOW, AT LAST, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THAT DETERMINATION OF  PFAS HAS NOT BEEN MADE YET.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE IN  THAT PROCESS, BUT WE DO -- WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY  TO GO BACK AND PURSUE THAT SHOULD PFAS BE FOUND ON FORT  WINGATE.

Laura: THAT IS GOOD TO KNOW  BECAUSE I WAS READING IN THE SETTLEMENT THAT WAS FILED IN  FEDERAL COURT SAID THAT PARTIES CAN'T SUE OVER CERTAIN THINGS SO  IF THERE WERE ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS, THE STATE CAN KIND OF  -- Stebbins: THIS CONSENT  DECREE REALLY COVERS THE CONTAMINANTS THAT ARE KNOWN  AS OF RIGHT NOW.

Laura: OKAY.

LIKE YOU MENTIONED, THERE IS A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD UNTIL  MAY 2.

WE'LL PUT THAT ON OUR WEBSITE AS  WELL.

YOUR OFFICE NEGOTIATED ANOTHER  SETTLEMENT RECENTLY.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE GOLD KING  MINE.

Stebbins: I THINK MOST  NEW MEXICANS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE GOLD KING MINE  RELEASE, SO IT WAS A RELEASE OF MANY MILLIONS OF GALLONS  OF TOXIC CONTAMINANTS THAT WERE RELEASED OUTSIDE  SILVERTON AND FLOWED DOWN INTO THE ANIMAS RIVER IN NEW  MEXICO AND INTO THE SAN JUAN AND TURNED THE RIVERS A  BRIGHT YELLOW COLOR.

SO, THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO AND  THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, NEW MEXICO ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE  ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT BROUGHT A LAWSUIT AGAINST BOTH THE MINING  DEFENDANTS, THEIR CONTRACTORS AND -- SORRY, MINING DEFENDANTS,  EPA AND THEIR CONTRACTORS.

SO IN JANUARY OF 2021, THOSE  PARTIES INCLUDING ONRT REACHED SETTLEMENT WITH THE MINING  DEFENDANTS THAT BROUGHT 11 MILLION TO THE STATE OF NEW  MEXICO.

ONE MILLION OF THAT WAS FOR  NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGES.

SO THAT CAME TO ONRT AND JUST  TWO WEEKS AGO -- SO WE WENT THROUGH A WHOLE PUBLIC INPUT  PROCESS.

WE REACHED OUT TO THE COMMUNITY  IN THE FOUR CORNERS AREA.

HOW DO YOU THINK THAT MILLION  DOLLARS SHOULD BE USED?

WHAT ARE THE PROJECTS THAT YOU  FEEL WOULD COMPENSATE FOR THE INJURY TO NATURAL RESOURCES?

AND WE RECEIVED FOUR PROPOSALS.

WE HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING TO FUND  THEM ALL SO WE ARE VERY EXCITED.

WE WENT THROUGH AGAIN PUBLIC  COMMENTS.

ONCE WE HAD SELECTED THE  PROJECTS AND ARE NOW IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING THE MOA'S  WITH THE PROJECT PROPONENTS TO GET THOSE PROJECTS UNDERWAY.

SO, THAT IS VERY EXCITING.

Laura: WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE  PROJECTS?

LIKE WHAT DO THEY INVOLVE?

Stebbins: WE'LL PARTNER WITH SAN JUAN COUNTY  GOVERNMENT ON A BOAT RAMP THAT WILL HELP COMPENSATE  FOR THE LOSS OF ACCESS TO THE RIVER FOR THE OUTDOOR  RECREATION INDUSTRY.

WE WILL BE PARTNERING WITH THE  HOGBACK CHAPTER HOUSE TO HELP IMPROVE THEIR IRRIGATION SYSTEM,  A PARTNERSHIP WITH FARMINGTON, CITY OF FARMINGTON, ON A  PAVILION THAT WILL PROVIDE BETTER CONDITIONS FOR THEIR  FARMERS MARKET.

AGAIN LOOKING AT THE FARMERS,  AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY WHICH REALLY WAS DAMAGED BY THAT  RELEASE, BOTH IN TERMS OF WHAT HAPPENED TO THEIR FIELDS BUT  ALSO THE STIGMA THAT CONTINUES TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH  AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS FROM THAT AREA.

AND THE FOURTH ONE WE ARE PARTNERING WITH SAN JUAN SOIL  AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT ON A SOIL HEALTH PROJECT THAT  WILL BOTH IMPROVE WATER QUALITY AND PROVIDE A REAL BENEFIT FOR  FARMERS WHO ARE PARTICIPATING TO LOWER THEIR COSTS AND IMPROVE  THEIR SOIL CONDITIONS.

SO, ALL FOUR OF THOSE PROJECTS ARE  REALLY EXCITING AND I THINK WE ARE JUST REALLY EAGER TO GET  STARTED.

Laura: THANKS MAGGIE HART  STEBBINS FOR JOINING ME AND WATCHING OUT FOR NEW MEXICO'S  NATURAL RESOURCES.

Stebbins: WELL,   THANKS TO YOU.