The successful remediation of the South Y Brine Well was a significant effort that took a great deal of hard work and quite a bit of ingenuity. We would like to take a moment to thank many of the local residents who played an integral role in that process.
When the brine well cavity was first discovered, a Carlsbad brine well committee was established to begin examining this issue. Membership included Dr. Ned Elkins, Don Purvis, Dr. George Veni, John Heaton and many others. This group began working with Jim Griswold and other employees of the state’s Energy Minerals and Natural Resources Department very early in the process. An early warning system was put in place in 2009.
Governor Susana Martinez established the eight person Brine Well Authority. We began holding authority meetings with EMNRD’s Secretary Ken McQueen and other authority members. Local participation included the City, Eddy County and the Carlsbad Irrigation District.
After the authority was created, there were numerous tasks remaining. How would the remediation process take place? How would the process be funded? What were the regulatory and legal issues in place? At times, all three of these topics seemed insurmountable. This was another time for John Heaton to shine, as he developed many of the blueprints for each of these issues. Members of Mosaic, Intrepid and WIPP all participated in the discussion on remediation. We were fortunate to have a high level of related knowledge in the area.
One of the key steps in the process was, of course, the legislative effort. Many members of the Carlsbad community went to Santa Fe to call attention to this issue and advocate for a path forward, including our “Bat Brigade” through the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce. Special thanks to Wendy Austin and Missi Currier for all of their help. We sincerely appreciate the efforts of our Southeast New Mexico legislative delegation- including Senators Gay Kernan, David Gallegos and Ron Griggs, as well as Representatives Cathrynn Brown and Jim Townsend. Heaton also played a vital role in this phase, as did former Senator John Arthur Smith, Senator George Munoz, Representative Patty Lundstrum and many others. It was a bipartisan effort with statewide support, but Carlsbad’s residents who went up to Santa Fe helped make sure everyone understood that.
Ultimately, a funding path was developed involving the state, the county and the city. A contractor, Wood, was hired to handle the process. The Brine Well authority continued to meet under Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and EMNRD Secretary Sarah Cottrell Propst.
At this week’s Brine Well Authority meeting, EMNRD announced that the process of filling the brine well cavity is believed to be complete. Follow-up efforts, such as monitoring, will continue for some time. Those displaced by this process, including a local church, are now returning to their property.
There were many men and women in Carlsbad, and across the state, who have worked on this project for a very long time. This included government employees, contractors and volunteers. We sincerely appreciate their hard work and dedication, and we’re glad this project is complete.
Sincerely, Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway