Officials in New Mexico have expressed alarm over President Joe Biden’s 60-day pause on new oil and natural gas leases and permits to drill, saying the industry is tied to spending on education and other programs in the state.
“During his inauguration, President Biden spoke about bringing our nation together. Eliminating drilling on public lands will cost thousands of New Mexicans their jobs and destroy what’s left of our state’s economy,” Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway told The Associated Press on Jan. 22. “How does that bring us together? Environmental efforts should be fair and well-researched, not knee-jerk mandates that just hurt an already impoverished state.”
