Bill > HM56

This Memorial requests a study by a legislative interim committee focused on water and natural resources to investigate how to establish and improve rules for securely covering (capping) abandoned water wells, which are old, unused wells that pose safety risks on both private and public land. The study is prompted by concerns over these safety hazards, the lack of current regulations, and a tragic incident where a child died after falling into an open well. The committee is specifically asked to gather information from the New Mexico Municipal League (representing cities and towns), the New Mexico Association of Counties (representing county governments), and the Office of the State Engineer (the state agency responsible for water resources), and to provide its findings and recommendations by December 1, 2022.