New Mexico official speaking on how his county banned fracking - Decorah Newspapers

John Olívas, elected in 2010 to the Mora County, New Mexico Commission, will speak in Decorah Sunday, Sept. 28, about how his county banned fracking for natural gas.His talk begins at 7 p.m. at The Cellar, located at The Old Armory, 421 W. Water St. The event is free and open to the public.In April 2013, Olívas led the charge to make his county the first in the country to permanently ban corporations from fracking or otherwise developing oil and gas within its borders.“A lot of people ask, ‘Who is this small community up in northern New Mexico that’s picking a fight with oil and gas?’ But as a matter of survival, local people have always prioritized conservation, and they resent outside corporations making money at their expense,” Olívas said.During six months of meetings, residents made clear that they want to protect their land-based heritage.“If you allow industry to come into your community, it changes the dynamics of the culture. I don’t think we’re ready for that,” he said.Olívas also will be speaking at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 29, during the Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors meeting at the Winneshiek County Courthouse.

LitigationWhere Mora’s fracking ban is concerned, the work is just beginning: Four private landowners backed by oil and gas interests sued last November, followed by a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell in January, alleging violation of their constitutional rights.“We knew we were going to get sued,” Olívas said.Mora County plans to fight, with help from the Pennsylvania-based Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund and the New Mexico Environmental Law Center. Given opponents’ deeper pockets, that could mean five to seven years of wrangling, and the creation of some legal precedents, Olívas said.Other communities that have adopted similar measures, banning specific corporate activities that harm the resources of local citizens -- Las Vegas, N.M., Pittsburgh, Pa. and more -- are watching.

Winneshiek moratoriumWinneshiek County has several mines serving local needs such as road gravel and dairy farming. However, frac-sand mining is currently not allowed under an 18-month moratorium passed by the Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors.The moratorium, which can be extended, ends in December of 2014. The Board of Supervisors has been asking questions and researching facts about this new industry, such as water pollution from surfacants, air pollution from silica dust and road damage from truck traffic.Olívas also will speak in Allamakee County; Crawford, Vernon, Trempeleau and Chippewa counties in Wisconsin; and Hennepin County, Minn.The event is sponsored by the Community Rights Alliance of Winneshiek County (CRA). CRA was formed in May 2013 to peacefully assert residents’ constitutional right to local, democratic self-governance, for the purpose of protecting the health and integrity of communities, commonly shared natural resources and the future.

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