Water Quality & Land Restoration:

Protecting and Restoring our Lands & Water

There are 15,000 abandoned mining sites in New Mexico. 259 of these sites are old uranium mines. Three of them on the Navajo Nation and the Laguna and Acoma Pueblos cause high levels of cancer. In Grant County, there are active copper mines with inadequate restoration plans.

Surface water and groundwater quality is also harmed by contamination from military bases, dairies, manufacturing and commercial sites, and old septic systems.

Local and Indigenous communities have worked for decades to get stronger standards for mining operations and to force mine owners to clean up their pollution.

Our Vision

We work with community members and leaders to stop new mining unless it can meet stringent standards and partner to create solutions for mining waste and site restoration. With a pro-environment legislature, we can fight the mining companies and their strong political influence. We work to ensure our communities and water resources are safe and can support cultural practices and outdoor recreation.

We will:

Strengthen existing laws to prevent industries from polluting our water and land
Identify a baseline for health in mining-impacted communities
Create new job opportunities through mining reclamation projects
Hold mining companies accountable for the impacts they have on communities
Support the Outdoor Equity Fund that awards grants to rural communities for land restoration, education, and recreation projects

ANNUAL REMEMBRANCE OF THE CHURCHROCK URANIUM TAILINGS SPILL

Every year, tribal and pueblo members and supporters gather to commemorate the July 16, 1979 spill at United Nuclear Corporation’s mill tailings pond. It is the largest release of radioactive material in U.S. history, but received almost no coverage compared to the much smaller Three Mile Island reactor accident in March of that year. Photo: Larry King, Eastern Navajo Diné Against Uranium Mining (ENDAUM) addresses attendees with the spill site in the distance; credit: CVNM Staff/Michael Jensen

Learn More > Take Action!

Related Work

Learn more about Water Quality and Land Restoration efforts.

February 4, 2026
Water Quality & Land Restoration

Why CVNM Supports the Immigrant Safety Act

CVNM strongly supports this legislation because we know that global heating and climate change impacts everyone, and is a predominant contributing factor to driving human migration. Equity and climate justice require that all climate migrants–whether U.S. residents moving internally or international climate migrants crossing the border into the U.S.–be treated…

Read More
November 13, 2025
Water Quality & Land Restoration

CVNM Statement in Response to Water Quality Control Commission Dismissal of Public Comment

Today, during a Water Quality Control Commission public meeting, Commission members publicly dismissed and prohibited public comment on oilfield wastewater (misleadingly called produced water) or items pertaining to the agenda. This decision was announced after a long queue of members of the public lined up to speak in objection to…

Read More
July 29, 2025
Water Quality & Land Restoration

CVNM Statement in Response to EPA Announcement Gutting Endangerment Finding

Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the agency is proposing a draft rule eliminating the endangerment finding and repealing all resulting greenhouse gas emissions regulations for motor vehicles and engines, in particular the Clean Car and Truck Standards.

Read More

Broad-Based Support

CVNM partners with and supports these organizations in order to move the needle on Water Quality & Land Restoration.

Amigos Bravos

Audubon Southwest

Citizens Caring for the Future

Diné C.A.R.E.

Earthworks

Environmental Defense Fund

Friends of the Earth

Gila Conservation Coalition

Gila Resources Information Project

MASE

NAEVA

To Nizhoni Ani

NMELC

NM Social Justice Equity Institute

San Juan Citizens Alliance

Southwest Research and Information Center (SRIC)

Wild Earth Guardians

The Wilderness Society

Topics:

Air Quality
Effective
Government
Energy &
Climate Change
Environmental
Justice
Land
Water
Wildlife & Habitat
Conservation

Bill #	Title	Sponsors	CVNM Position	Year
HB 9	Immigrant Safety Act more Summary: HB 9: Immigrant Safety Act – aimed to eliminate safety oversight loopholes exploited by ICE that can lead to human rights violations against undocumented immigrants who are often fleeing the impacts of climate change. HB 9 died waiting to be heard in Senate Judiciary. Outcome: HB 9 passed the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee, but died in the Senate Finance Committee.	Eleanor Chávez	Support	2025
HB 91	Public Utility Rate Structures more Summary: HB 91: Public Utility Rate Structure - allows investor-owned utilities (like PNM) to provide New Mexico’s most vulnerable residents with lower electric and gas bills. Outcome: HB 91 passed the House 42-25, then passed the Senate 26-16, and was signed into law by the Governor	Kristina Ortez	Support	2025
SB 4	Clear Horizons & Greenhouse Gas Emissions more Summary: SB 4: Clear Horizons & Greenhouse Gas Emissions - would have codified the Governor's 2019 executive order and put the state on a path to reduce economy-wide fossil fuel emissions. SB 4 died in Senate Financial Committee. Outcome: SB 4 passed the Senate Conservation Committee, but died in the Senate Finance Committee.	Mimi Stewart	Support	2025
SB 5	Game Commission Reform more Summary: SB 5: Department of Game & Fish Modernization - updates and modernizes the Department of Game and Fish, as well as the Game & Fish Commission, it reforms it into the Department of Wildlife with an updated mission and scope of work. SB 5 received a partial veto from the Governor striking the Game Commissioner removal process. All other aspects were signed into law. Outcome: SB 5 passed the Senate 37-5, then passed the House 44-23, and was partially vetoed and signed into law by the Governor	Matthew McQueen	Support	2025
SB 21	Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Act more Summary: SB 21: Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Act - protects the state’s waters by authorizing key components of a state permitting program for waters no longer protected by the federal Clean Water Act. This bill also transfers water pollution prevention permitting to New Mexico that is currently done by the EPA for waters still federally protected. SB 21 passed and has been signed by the Governor. Outcome: SB 21 passed the Senate 25-16, and passed the House 43-25. It was signed into law by the Governor.	Peter Wirth	Support	2025
SB 23	Oil & Gas Royalty Rate Changes more Summary: SB 23: Oil & Gas Royalty Rate Changes - updates the royalty rate with a range of 20% to 25% for productive state trust land leases in southeastern New Mexico, potentially generating $50 to $84 million annually. SB 23 passed and has been signed by the Governor. Outcome: SB 23 passed the Senate 21-15, and passed the House 37-31. It was signed into law by the Governor.	George K. Munoz	Support	2025
SB 36	Sensitive Personal Information Nondisclosure more Summary: SB 36: Sensitive Personal Information Nondisclosure - protects all New Mexicans’ personal and sensitive information from misuse by government employees. Outcome: SB 36 passed the Senate 26-14, then passed the House 42-23, and was signed into law by the Governor	Antoinette Sedillo Lopez	Support	2025
SB 37	Strategic Water Reserve more Summary: SB 37: Strategic Water Reserve - helps keep water in streams for two new specific purposes to support instream flows and recreational, cultural and habitat uses. SB 37 passed and has been signed by the Governor. Outcome: SB 37 passed the Senate 25-15, and passed the House 42-20. It was signed into law by the Governor.	Elizabeth Stefanics	Support	2025
SB 48	Community Benefit Act more Summary: SB 48: Community Benefit Fund - establishes the Community Benefit Fund to invest $340 million in communities that have been disproportionately impacted by climate change and provides renewable energy resources. SB 48 passed and has been signed by the Governor. Outcome: SB 48 passed the Senate 23-15, and passed the House 39-26. It was signed into law by the Governor.	Mimi Stewart	Support	2025