NEXT MEETING:Thursday, October 11, 2018,
7:30 p.m. Albuquerque Friends Meeting House 1600 5th Street Northwest (see map below right) Topic: Sacred Land, Sacred Water: Confluences in the Rio Grande Valley
At this month’s meeting, we will present a 48-minute documentary produced by filmmakers Lewis Jacobs and Craig Barth with geologist Don Phillips. It tells the story of the imminent threat posed by the expansion of hydraulic fracturing into unincorporated areas along the Rio Grande like Placitas, Rio Rancho, Algodones, and Pena Blanca. The New Mexico oil and gas industry is seeking to pass an ordinance in Sandoval County to open up these areas to fracking for the first time.
The filmmakers, with the support of local grassroots groups, have created a documentary that highlights the dangers that fracking poses to the continuous aquifer which underlies the entire Albuquerque Basin. This aquifer provides 85% of the drinking water for the 800,000 residents in Albuquerque’s metro area. After Sandoval County Commissioners voted down the first ordinance proposed by the oil and gas lobby in December 2017, this past summer the oil and gas industry introduced a new industry-friendly ordinance to the Sandoval County Planning and Zoning Commission, where it is currently under review. The oil and gas lobby is exerting all its powers to expedite passage of this ordinance and has also initiated an ad campaign with TV spots in an attempt to convince the public of the safety of fracking. The documentary seeks to educate New Mexicans about the dangers of fracking in the Albuquerque Basin and show how citizens can raise their voices to protect our water! Support AWF's work!
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