New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission

1190 St. Francis Drive, N2153

Santa Fe, New Mexico 87502

Tel (505) 827-2425

Fax (505) 827-2836

joyce.Medina@state.nm.us

Honorable Commission Members:

Ref: the Proposed Amendment to 20.6.2 NMAC (Dairy Regulations) Docket Number: WQCC 09-13 (R).

Please give consideration to adopting adequate and meaningful regulations for control and protection from dairy animal waste and wastewater in New Mexico.

We request adequate lining and shielding of these wastes from our ground and surface waters, as well as adequate and proven technology for testing, monitoring, and remediation of existing contamination.

We further request that NMED become involved more directly in any actions of investigation for permits and subsequent enforcement of dairy regulations.

• The New Mexico dairy industry has failed to protect the state’s drinking water: Ninety percent of New Mexico’s drinking water comes from underground sources, but the water under nearly 2/3’s of the state’s dairies is so contaminated that it is unsafe to drink.

• One likely cause of this contamination is the manure generated by the dairies.  Dairies in New Mexico produce 5.6 million gallons of manure each day - waste that may be seeping underground and contaminating our drinking water supplies.

• To fix this problem, New Mexico’s Water Quality Control Commission is considering new regulations on the dairy industry to better protect our drinking water.  Unfortunately, the dairy industry continues to deny their role in creating this problem.

·        We have the right to safe, clean drinking water.

Signed: _________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________

City: ___________________________________________________

local fax 575-743-2173