NMED News:

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Environment Department is highlighting the ongoing success of its Enforcement Watch initiative, a transparency-focused program that provides the public with consistent and timely information about the Department’s enforcement actions across environmental protection, public health, and worker safety programs.

By making enforcement data accessible, Enforcement Watch reinforces NMED’s commitment to New Mexico residents for accountability and regulatory compliance statewide.

Launched in May 2023, Enforcement Watch shares monthly updates on enforcement actions and their resolutions. These updates are broadly divided into two categories:

• Active Matters: Alleged violations of state regulations, rules, permits, or licenses that are currently under investigation or pending resolution.
• Resolved Matters: Cases that have been adjudicated in court or administratively resolved, including the full payment of any civil penalties.

February Spotlight: Emergency Operations and Response Bureau

As part of its mission to strengthen enforcement capabilities, the New Mexico Environment Department established the Emergency Operations and Response Bureau (EORB) in July 2025 under the newly created Compliance and Enforcement Division.

EORB safeguards public health and the environment during emergencies. Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the bureau coordinates responses to environmental incidents ranging from hazardous material spills to wildfires and flooding.

The bureau also manages the Environmental Notification Tracking System (ENTS), established in 2006, which recently recorded its 20,000th entry. The system allows the public to report environmental concerns and enables NMED to monitor incident response and recovery efforts in real time.

“Whether it’s a wildfire, a flood, or an accident involving the shipment of hazardous waste, the Emergency Operations and Response Bureau are ready to respond and rapidly assist with cleanup,” EORB Bureau Chief Russell Lashley. said “Even after the immediate emergency has passed, we remain on scene, working with New Mexico residents and communities to support recovery efforts.”

Outside of responding to emergencies, the Bureau also oversees the Environmental Crimes Task Force to make sure environmental crimes are investigated and prosecuted so they do not lead to environmental emergencies. The task force collaborates with state, federal and local partners to investigate and prosecute serious environmental violations, including illegal dumping, improper hazardous waste disposal, air and water pollution, and falsification of regulatory reports.

New Mexico statutes provide both misdemeanor and felony penalties for significant violations, underscoring the state’s commitment to holding polluters accountable.

EORB’s critical role was evident in January 2026, when winter storm warnings were issued across New Mexico. EORB immediately activated the Emergency Operations Center to keep the department informed of any response actions needed. The bureau closely monitored public water systems to assure assistance was available and coordinated the response to and remediation of a 3,000-gallon fuel tanker spill.

Enforcement Watch updates for February 2026

In February, the Compliance and Enforcement Division of NMED added 226 new cases to Active Matters and resolved 38, demonstrating ongoing enforcement and accountability across the state. 

 The following enforcement cases were initiated in February:

• 148 notices of violation issued by the Water Protection Compliance and Enforcement Bureau 
• 34 notices of violation issued by the Food Safety Program to retail food establishments   
• 23 notices of violation issued by the Resource Protection Compliance and Enforcement Bureau
• 15 notices of violation issued by the Occupational Health & Safety Bureau
• 6 notices of violation issued by the Environmental Protection Compliance and Enforcement Bureau

 The following enforcement cases were resolved in February:  

• 19 cases in the Environmental Protection Compliance and Enforcement Bureau
• 17 cases in the Resource Protection Compliance and Enforcement Bureau
• 1 case in the Water Protection Compliance and Enforcement Bureau
• 1 case in the Occupational Health & Safety Bureau

Highlights of alleged violations and resolved enforcement actions in February include: 

• The Water Protection Compliance & Enforcement Bureau issued a Administrative Compliance Order to the U.S. Department of Energy for violations of the New Mexico Water Quality Control Act at Los Alamos National Laboratory, stemming from groundwater contamination with chromium. The agency was assessed $9,764,625 in penalties and $19,878.65 in administrative compliance costs.
• The Environmental Protection Compliance and Enforcement Bureau issued a Notice of Violation to Primal Crushing LLC, of Fort Worth, Texas regarding a portable crusher located south of Dayton, New Mexico. The notice cited the company’s failure to pay New Source Review permit fees for 2022 through 2025, totaling $9,431.
• The Water Protection Compliance & Enforcement Bureau issued a Notice of Violation to Barcelona Mobile Home Park of Albuquerque for failing to address 14 deficiencies identified in a June 2025 sanitary survey. Under New Mexico regulations, the park must notify its customers of the violation within 30 days and continue doing so until all deficiencies are corrected.
• The Resource Protection Compliance & Enforcement Bureau issued a Notice of Violation to the City of Socorro Landfill for failing to properly store recyclable materials, record vehicle descriptions, control the size of scrap tire piles, and complete scrap tire manifest records — in violation of the New Mexico Recycling, Illegal Dumping, and Scrap Tire Management Rule.
• A Citation and Notification of Penalty was issued to Central New Mexico Electric Co-Op following an OSHA investigation, which identified five serious safety violations totaling $33,110 in penalties. The violations stemmed from a utility pole replacement incident in which employees worked on energized powerlines without proper safety controls, resulting in a severe injury.

Enforcement Watch provides the public, the business community, environmental nongovernment organizations, and municipal governments with easy access to see which organizations NMED has alleged are in violation of regulations, permits, and/or licenses administered by the Department. It is updated when violations are alleged or resolved. Retrospective enforcement matters are added as staffing resources allow. Organizations remain on Enforcement Watch until the alleged violations are corrected to the satisfaction of the Department. 

The easiest way for an organization to avoid appearing on the Enforcement Watch is to stay off it in the first place by remaining in full compliance with applicable regulations. NMED encourages organizations that are unclear of their regulatory responsibilities to contact a consultant and conduct a third-party compliance audit and disclose potential violations.

NMED provides detailed compliance and enforcement metrics in the Compliance Measures section of the Quarterly Performance Report.

The full Enforcement Watch can be viewed at https://www.env.nm.gov/enforcement-watch.