Energy company to pay state penalty
Mar. 12—ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — An oil and gas company in northern New Mexico has agreed to pay the state a nearly $100,000 civil penalty for failing to report a release of natural gas into water, according to the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department.
Along with the civil penalty of $92,500, Harvest Midstream Company also "took specific steps to improve its environmental protection and reporting practices," a news release from the state EMNRD said.
"This settlement holds Harvest accountable for its failure to comply with OCD's rules and establishes a path forward to improve reporting and protect public health and the environment," Adrienne Sandoval, OCD director wrote in the release.
The agreement and changes in practices stem from an August 2020 notice of violation in which it was alleged that the company failed to notify the Oil Conservation Department in a timely manner after releasing natural gas into water just south of Bloomfield, according to the EMNRD.
