New Mexico Supreme Court to hear landmark pollution lawsuit

by: Nicole Sanders Nov 10, 2025 / 03:47 PM MST

See Video Here: https://www.krqe.com/news/new-mexico/new-mexico-supreme-court-to-hear-landmark-pollution-lawsuit/

The New Mexico Supreme Court has agreed to hear a landmark lawsuit that claims the state violated its constitutional duties to protect the land from oil and gas pollution.

The suit was brought on by a partnership of indigenous peoples, youth groups, and conservationists. They’re suing the state of New Mexico, the governor, the state legislature and other state agencies, claiming they’re violating a pollution control clause in the state constitution.

We spoke to an attorney for the plaintiffs back in 2023 shortly after the suit was first filed. “We have a pollution crisis in the state that’s being generated by the massive amounts of oil and gas production that’s going on in our state,” said Center for Biological Diversity Attorney Gail Evans. “And the state has a constitutional duty to control pollution and they’re not living up to that duty.”

The plaintiffs said the Chaco Canyon and Carlsbad areas have been the most affected by the oil and gas industry. They say fracking has been especially harmful to their limited fresh water resources and waste spills have contaminated their soil. The date the matter will go before the Supreme Court has not yet been set.