Defending our water, defending our health

The AFSC New Mexico program is part of a coalition of 42 organizations called Defend New Mexico Water. The group has been working to protect our water from “false solutions” proposed by extractive industries.

New Mexico is the second largest crude oil -producing state in the U.S. The oil and gas industries want to reuse radioactive fracking wastewater in ways that could harm the health of our communities.

As part of our work in the coalition, AFSC staffers recently testified at the state Water Quality Control Commission and recruited dozens of others to give public comment. Program Co-Director Sayrah Namaste testified that studies show fracking waste is highly carcinogenic and radioactive.

She cited a recent study by Physicians for Social Responsibility, which documents the prevalence of PFAS (forever chemicals) in oil and gas operations in New Mexico. Produced water commonly contains arsenic, barium, bromide, mercury and benzene. These have the potential to cause cancer.

“As someone whose daughter is battling blood cancer, I don’t want anyone to have exposure to carcinogens,” Sayrah shared. “This is not just an experiment with our water. It’s an experiment on our health.”

 “My daughter has gotten excellent care at the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center in Albuquerque,” she continued. “But being at her bedside as she underwent aggressive chemotherapy has been the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through.”

Sayrah said we all probably know someone who’s battled cancer or died from cancer.

Many people reached out to Sayrah afterwards with appreciation of her willingness to share so personally.

A water engineer was an expert witness at the hearing. He was in the room with the commissioners when she gave her virtual testimony.

“Sayrah, your public comments made an impact on the Commissioners,” he wrote. “I was watching them. Thank you for being who you are and for your powerful testimony.”

A director of a New Mexico environmental nonprofit wrote, “Your comment was so powerful, Sayrah! I wanted to send you a note of gratitude for what you shared. It was incredibly moving and very compelling.”