Albuquerque, N.M. (KKOB) — A new report from The University of New Mexico examines which communities in the state are most impacted by pollution. The report found that facilities, such as power plants and gas processing plants, contribute approximately one-quarter of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. It says many communities most impacted are lower-income and have high populations of people of color. 189 sources were found to release significant quantities of health-damaging pollutants, with four areas identified as large stationary source clusters. That includes the San Juan and Permian Basins, the Albuquerque Metro, and Las Cruces. The report made several recommendations including requiring large stationary facilities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mandating the inclusion of impacted communities in advisory groups, and creating of a more robust database to help fill gaps in emissions and health-damaging air pollutants data.
