[gallery ids="2516599,2516600,2516601,2516602,2516603"]
LOS LUNAS — Valencia County commissioners voted 3-2 shortly after midnight Friday to approve a measure that could open the door to local oil and gas exploration, a move that came after nearly seven hours of public comment from dozens of people.
kAmp3@FE `d_ A6@A=6 D9@H65 FA 7@C E96 962C:?8 2E E96 {@D {F?2D %C2?DA@CE2E:@? r6?E6C @? %9FCD52J[ 7:==:?8 E96 724:=:EJ E@ 42A24:EJ 2?5 =62G:?8 DE2?5:?8 C@@> @?=J 7@C >2?J A2CE:4:A2?ED] ~FED:56[ 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ 24E:G:DED AC@E6DE65 282:?DE E96 4@>>:DD:@?VD 24E:@?] ~E96CD 4@F?E6C\AC@E6DE65 :? 72G@C @7 @:= 2?5 82D 56G6=@A>6?E] pE @?6 A@:?E[ '2=6?4:2 r@F?EJ #6AF3=:42? !2CEJ r92:C>2? |:4926= r2?56=2C:2 3C:67=J 5:DCFAE65 E96 >66E:?8[ :>A=@C:?8 A6@A=6 E@ DFAA@CE 7@DD:= 7F6=\32D65 64@?@>:4 8C@HE9 H:E9 2 >:4C@A9@?6 @FED:56 E96 3F:=5:?8 E92E =@F5=J C6D@?2E65 E9C@F89@FE E96 724:=:EJ] x? E96 6?5[ E9C66 @7 E96 7:G6 4@>>:DD:@?6CD G@E65 E@ 2AAC@G6 2 ?6H Q?2EFC2= C6D@FC46 @G6C=2J K@?6[Q H9:49 2==@HD 56G6=@A6CD E@ 2AA=J 7@C 6IA=@C2E@CJ DFC7246 2?5 DF3DFC7246 >:?6C2= 56G6=@A>6?E :? E96 4@F?EJ H:E9@FE 492?8:?8 6I:DE:?8 K@?:?8 @? E2C86E65 AC@A6CE:6D] %92E 4@F=5 A@E6?E:2==J 6IA65:E6 E96 A6C>:EE:?8 AC@46DD E@ 6IEC24E ?2EFC2= C6D@FC46D =:<6 @:= 2?5 82D] p G6CD:@? @7 E96 @C5:?2?46 H2D @C:8:?2==J 2AAC@G65 :? |2J[ 3FE 4@>>:DD:@?6CD C6A62=65 :E =2DE >@?E9 E@ 4@CC64E 2? 6CC@C :? C6BF:C65 AF3=:4 ?@E:7:42E:@?] p?5[ 7@==@H:?8 2 4@>>F?:EJ 324<=2D9 E@ 56>2?5 >@C6 AF3=:4 :?AFE[ 4@>>:DD:@?6CD D4965F=65 %9FCD52JVD >66E:?8 E@ 2==@H A6@A=6 E@ G@:46 E96:C @A:?:@?D 367@C6 C64@?D:56C:?8 E96 >62DFC6] }62C=J e_ A6@A=6 DA@<6 @FE 2E %9FCD52JVD 962C:?8[ 23@FE EH@\E9:C5D @7 E96> :? @AA@D:E:@? E@ E96 ?6H @G6C=2J K@?6 @C5:?2?46] %92E :?4=F565 >6>36CD 2?5 =6256CD @7 >2?J 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ @C82?:K2E:@?D[ DF49 2D '2=6?4:2 (2E6C (2E496CD[ *@FE9 &?:E65 7@C r=:>2E6 rC:D:D p4E:@?[ E96 $:6CC2 r=F3 #:@ vC2?56 r92AE6C 2?5 E96 }6H |6I:4@ t?G:C@?>6?E2= {2H r6?E6C] |2?J =@42= C6D:56?ED 2?5 :?5:G:5F2=D 7C@> p=3FBF6CBF6 2?5 @E96C >:5\#:@ vC2?56 4@>>F?:E:6D 2=D@ D9@H65 FA :? @AA@D:E:@?[ D@>6 @7 H9@> E6DE:7:65 23@FE E96 A@E6?E:2= 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 2?5 962=E9 92K2C5D @7 @:= 2?5 82D 56G6=@A>6?E] }@C> v2F>6 U>52D9j 7@C>6C r:EJ @7 p=3FBF6CBF6 H2E6C C6D@FC46D >2?286C 2?5 7@C>6C 5:C64E@C @7 E96 x?E6CDE2E6 $EC62> r@>>:DD:@? U>52D9j 42==65 @:= 2?5 82D 2 Q5:CEJ 2?5 4@?E2>:?2E65Q :?5FDECJ] s@? !9:==:AD[ 2 7@C>6C @:= 2?5 82D 6IA=@C2E:@? 86@=@8:DE[ H2C?65 E92E 5C:==:?8 :? E96 #:@ vC2?56 C:7E F?56C?62E9 '2=6?4:2 2?5 DFCC@F?5:?8 4@F?E:6D H@F=5 36 6IEC6>6=J 52?86C@FD[ A@E6?E:2==J 52>28:?8 E96 7C6D9H2E6C 2BF:76C E92E D6CG6D E96 6?E:C6 >:5\#:@ vC2?56 4@CC:5@C] %96 p=3FBF6CBF6 q2D:? U>52D9j 2? F?56G6=@A65 K@?6 A@E6?E:2==J C:49 :? 9J5C@42C3@?D U>52D9j :D 2 9:89=J 7C24EFC65 7@C>2E:@? H:E9 ?F>6C@FD 72F=E =:?6D[ !9:==:AD D2:5] sC:==:?8 E96C6 H@F=5 =:<6=J 5:DEFC3 E9@D6 72F=E =:?6D[ EFC?:?8 E96> :?E@ 4@?5F:ED 7@C @:= 2?5 82D E@ 4@?E2>:?2E6 E96 32D:?VD 7C6D9H2E6C 2BF:76C[ H9:=6 8C62E=J 96:89E6?:?8 E96 C:D< @7 62CE9BF2<6D] Q*@FVC6 ;FDE 2D<:?8 7@C EC@F3=6[ :? >J G:6H[Q !9:==:AD D2:5] Qx ;FDE E9:?< :7 J@F DE2CE 5C:==:?8 H2E6C 5:DA@D2= H6==D :? E9:D 32D:?[ E96 AC@323:=:EJ @7 4C62E:?8 62CE9BF2<6D :D 8@:?8 E@ 36 `__T]Q p3@FE a_ A6@A=6 DA@<6 :? DFAA@CE @7 E96 @G6C=2J K@?6[ :?4=F5:?8 >6>36CD @7 E96 x?56A6?56?E !6EC@=6F> pDD@4:2E:@? @7 }6H |6I:4@[ E96 }6H |6I:4@ qFD:?6DD r@2=:E:@?[ 2?5 6>A=@J66D 2?5 4@?DF=E2?ED H:E9 p=3FBF6CBF6\32D65 @:= 2?5 82D 7:C> y2=2A6U?E:=56j@ r@CA][ @H?65 3J =@?8E:>6 @:=>2? w2CG6J t] *2E6D yC] |@DE D2:5 @A6?:?8 '2=6?4:2 r@F?EJ E@ @:= 2?5 82D 4@F=5 3C:?8 9F86 64@?@>:4 36?67:ED E@ E96 2C62[ :?4=F5:?8 ;@3D 2?5 E2I C6G6?F6] x? 255:E:@?[ 2 9F86 2CC2J @7 D2768F2C5D 2C6 2=C625J :? A=246 E@ 256BF2E6=J AC@E64E E96 6?G:C@?>6?E 2?5 =@42= 4@>>F?:E:6D[ E96J D2:5[ :?4=F5:?8 DEC:?86?E DE2E6 =2HD 2?5 C68F=2E:@?D[ A=FD :>>6?D6 :>AC@G6>6?E :? E649?@=@8J E92E >2<6D @:= 2?5 82D @A6C2E:@?D 9:89=J D64FC6] Q#68F=2E:@?D 2=C625J @? E96 3@@<D 92G6 366? DEF5:65[ D=:465 2?5 5:465 2?5 AC@G6? 67764E:G6 7@C 6?G:C@?>6?E2= AC@E64E:@?[Q D2:5 x?56A6?56?E !6EC@=6F> pDD@4:2E:@? tI64FE:G6 s:C64E@C y:> (:?496DE6C] %96 7CF:ED @7 @:= 2?5 82D 56G6=@A>6?E 92G6 :>>6?D6=J :>AC@G65 E96 BF2=:EJ @7 =:76 7@C 6G6CJ@?6 @G6C E96 A2DE 46?EFCJ[ (:?496DE6C 25565] p?5 H:E9@FE E96 @C5:?2?46[ QJ@FVC6 4FEE:?8 @77 2 3F?49 @7 '2=6?4:2 r@F?EJ C6D:56?ED 7C@> E2I C6G6?F6D 7@C D49@@=D]Q r@>>:DD:@?6CD y9@?2E92? pC28@?[ %C@J #:492C5D@? 2?5 y@D6A9 q:KK6== U>52D9j E96 @C5:?2?46VD DA@?D@C U>52D9j G@E65 J6D @? E96 >62DFC6] r92:C>2? v6C2C5 $2:K 2?5 r@>>:DD:@?6C s2G:5 wJ56C G@E65 ?@] wJ56C H2C?65 E92E E96 4@F?EJ :D E2<:?8 2 9F86 C:D< 7@C =:<6=J =:EE=6 C62= 64@?@>:4 36?67:E[ D:?46 6G6? *2E6D U>52D9j H9@ 9@A6D E@ 368:? @:= 6IA=@C2E:@? F?56C E96 @C5:?2?46 U>52D9j 92D D2:5 E96C6VD AC@323=J 2 h_T 492?46 @7 72:=FC6 :? DEC:<:?8 4@>>6C4:2==J\G:23=6 @:= 2?5 82D 56A@D:ED :? E96 2C62] Q(6VC6 A=2J:?8 #FDD:2? C@F=6EE6[Q wJ56C D2:5] Qx A6CD@?2==J E9:?< H6 ?665 E@ D=2> @? E96 3C2<6D]Q k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]23B;@FC?2=]4@>^ad`ea`_^G2=6?4:2\4@F?EJ\AC@A@D2=\6IA64E65\E@\5C2H\4C@H5D\E9FCD52J]9E>=Qm9EEADi^^HHH]23B;@FC?2=]4@>^ad`ea`_^G2=6?4:2\4@F?EJ\AC@A@D2=\6IA64E65\E@\5C2H\4C@H5D\E9FCD52J]9E>=k^2mk^Am