New Mexico is unlikely to join Connecticut and several surrounding Northeast states as those few in the country regulating greenhouse gas emissions, The Associated Press reports.
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez on Tuesday took aim at the controversial Environmental Improvement Board, announcing that she was removing all members over concerns about the board’s approval in recent months of what she considers anti-business policies, The Associated Press reports.
The board — made up of members appointed by former Gov. Bill Richardson — was at the center of a heated debate last year over whether New Mexico should regulate greenhouse gas emissions. The board ultimately decided to approve two proposals — one from an environmental group that aimed to limit the emissions of the state’s largest polluters and another from the state Environment Department that called for a regional cap-and-trade program.
Connecticut is a member of the only active regional cap-and-trade program in the country, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, made up of 10 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states.
Supporters argue the board went through an exhaustive public process before approving the regulations, but Martinez’s office contends the board moved forward with the regulations after state lawmakers rejected similar efforts during the legislative process.
Martinez said in a statement that New Mexico has been hurt by policies that discourage economic development and result in businesses fleeing the state.
“Unfortunately, the majority of EIB members have made it clear that they are more interested in advancing political ideology than implementing commonsense policies that balance economic growth with responsible stewardship in New Mexico,” Martinez said.
