SANTA FE — Today, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) issued two Notices of Violation to Matador Production Company and Mewbourne Oil Company for violations of the state’s Air Quality Control Act and Federal Clean Air Act. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued similar notices for these violations. 

During an April 2019 inspections sweep in southeast New Mexico, NMED and EPA staff found violations of state and federal air quality laws at Mewbourne and Matador facilities. These violations include failure to capture emissions from storage vessels, failure to maintain pilot lights on flares, failure to comply with closed vent system requirements and failure to ensure natural gas is captured and not emitted to the atmosphere. 

“We are committed to holding the oil and natural gas industry accountable for compliance with rules and permits,” said NMED Cabinet Secretary James Kenney. “Enforcement of state and federal standards is essential to protecting public and environmental health and creating a level playing field among operators.” 

Failure to comply with state and federal air quality laws can result in uncontrolled emissions of volatile organic compounds, contributing to the formation of ground-level ozone and hazardous air pollutants. 

A collateral benefit of compliance with these laws is a reduction in methane emissions. Methane, the key component of natural gas, is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential more than 84 times greater than that of carbon dioxide, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Oil and gas operations in New Mexico are a significant source of methane emissions in the state.