SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) New Mexico is changing its regulations on managing waste from oil and gas drilling. A 51-page order issued Thursday by the state Oil Conservation Commission makes numerous changes to the so-called “pit rule,'' which industry groups called too expensive and cumbersome.
The regulations were adopted in 2009. They're intended to prevent drilling waste from leaching into groundwater. According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, most of the changes affect waste pit permits, siting, design, construction and closure. The commission says the changes streamline and clarify the rule, making it easier for small-scale drillers to comply.
Environmentalists and sportsmen groups opposed any relaxation of the rule.
One change includes allowing than one well to a waste pit. Another eliminates a reporting requirement on impacts on soil and water.
