Mora County, NM is famous as being the first in the nation to pass an anti-fracking ban earlier this year. It's a rural county, with a small, mostly Hispanic population, one of the poorest counties in one of the poorest states in the nation. Mora County lies along the front range of the Southern Rockies, a mixture of mountain and high plains terrain, up to above 13,000' of elevation.
As one local resident succinctly put it: "I don't want to destroy our water. You can't drink oil."
One of the many roadside signs along New Mexico state highway 518 in rural Mora County.
Not the obvious candidate to take on the Goliath of the oil and gas industry, but that's what they've done. People don't have a lot, but what they do have they want to protect. The battle's been opened
on a new front now:
In a dispute being watched around the United States, a statewide oil and gas association and three Mora County landowners are suing the Mora County Commission over its ban on oil drilling.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque, claims the county’s action in April violates the plaintiffs' civil rights and is unconstitutional.
Their civil right to make money and rape the lands and water. County commissioner John Olivas says "We're ready for this fight." But it won't be easy.
It won't necessarily be easy for the oil companies either. The people of Mora County are deeply rooted to that specific place, and local support for the ordinance is strong. It's maybe worth noting the names of the plaintiffs: Richard Gillilan, president of the Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico; Mary L. Vermillion; Jay Land Ltd. Co; Yates Ranch Property.
Text from the ordinance: The People of Mora County recognize that water is essential for the life, prosperity, sustainability, and health of their community and that damage to natural groundwater and surface water sources imposes great tangible loss, to the People, natural communities and ecosystems of Mora County, not just for today but for future generations. The People of Mora County recognize that they may be forced, without their consent, to endure or attempt to repair harm inflicted on their environment and their vital water supply, which they have no equivalent governing authority to prevent under current state and federal law.
Census 2010 facts about Mora County:
- 4,705 Population
- 80.6% Mora County Hispanic or Latino
- 47.0% New Mexico Hispanic or Latino
- 16.9% USA Hispanic or Latino
- 57.1% Mora County Language other than English spoken at home
- 36.2% NM language other than English spoken at home
- 20.3% USA language other than English spoken at home
- 2.4% Mora County Foreign born
- 9.8% NM foreign born
- 12.8% USA foreign born
- $39,792 Mora County Median household (2.69) income
- $44,631 NM median household (2.62) income
- $52,762 USA median household (2.60) income
- 83.7% Mora County Home ownership rate
- 69.6% NM home ownership rate
- 66.1% USA home ownership rate
Whiskey's for drinking, and water's for fighting. That's been attributed to Mark Twain, likely wrongly so, and also to Will Rogers. Whoever said it first, it's been repeated innumerable times in the West. In New Mexico, people also say:
Agua es Vida.