People in the Navajo community have complained to Samuel Sage for years about the noise and vibrations that rattle their homes.

They originate from the dust kicked up by heavy trucks driving on the surrounding dirt roads and from batteries of oil and gas wells and tanks that dot the land around the Navajo community of Counselors in northwestern New Mexico. tell him about the smell

One recent day, Sage was standing on a hill overlooking a public school where he served as a counselor. He points to wells and tanks in the distance, painted green to blend in with the juniper trees and sagebuki.

“Monitoring shows that the pollution either crosses the highway to the school or to the branch, depending on which direction the wind is blowing,” he said.

Sage, former president of the Navajo Chapter and now regional services coordinator, is among a group of residents and environmentalists suing New Mexico for failing to clean up pollution in the northwest and southeast of the state.

About 144,000 people, or 7% of the state’s population, live within a radius of 0.80 kilometers (0.80 km) from oil and gas producing areas or attend school or day care. according to the complaint. The complaint also states that nearly all elementary, middle, and high schools in the Hobbes area of ​​Lee County, as well as school districts in Eddy County, are surrounded by oil and gas drilling and production sites on state, federal, and private property.

New Mexico Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia-Richard said Thursday that all new oil and gas leases in national trust lands within 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) of a school or other educational institution, such as a daycare center, kindergarten, or nursery school. issued an executive order including a ban on Sports facilities used by students.

The order, which goes into effect Thursday, also gives her office oversight of thousands of square miles (kilometers) of surface land and mineral interests an existing oil and gas lease on national trust land within a mile of the school. are required to be reviewed and their compliance assessed. Due to state regulations.

“I have a full list of things that have to go through,” Garcia Richard said Thursday when asked about the review process. “This is a lot of work and it will take a while to complete the list with priorities.”

The State Land Service estimates that there may be nearly 120 schools within a mile of federal, state, tribal and private oil and gas operations.

An Associated Press analysis of Petroleum Conservation Service and State Land Service data on current and new applications for drilling permits on state land found nearly 100 oil or gas wells within a mile of at least one school. This is out of more than 13,000 active and new oil and gas leases on state-owned land.

The Hobbes School District has one of the highest concentrations of oil and gas wells near school buildings, according to the analysis.

Hobbes lies in the heart of the Permian Basin, one of the world’s most abundant petroleum resources. The development income there Accelerating Record State Spending About education and other social programs.

Hobbes Superintendent Gene Strickland said his district supports the industry.

“We don’t feel the industry is having a negative impact on the region due to the proximity of oil and gas wells in the region,” he said. “This industry is made up of individuals who are members of our community. We share the same interests and want nothing to happen against the communities we call home. I’m here.”

Within a mile of Jefferson Elementary School on the west side of Hobbes, there are about 45 wells actively seeking new oil drilling permits on state trusts, according to an Associated Press analysis. He has 13 locations at Heiser Middle School, south of Hobbes. Including oil and gas wells located outside of state trust lands further increases that number.

On the north side, Lybrook Elementary School near Counselor has 11 working wells on national trust land within a mile, according to state data.

Felix Garcia, Superintendent of Jemez Mountain Public Schools, said the school district chose to move to Liverook many years ago because the former campus was near a natural gas processing plant and there were safety concerns. said he did.

“I think it’s good that people are starting to voice their concerns, because often no one looks into it and it ends up creating health problems for the community,” Garcia said. rice field.

The Western Energy Alliance and other industry groups have been working with regulators and academic researchers to develop drone and satellite technology that will allow producers to more quickly detect and repair leaks, resulting in: It claims that emissions will be reduced despite increased production.

Environmentalists say setting backs and installing more equipment to reduce pollution can protect schools and public health. New Mexico does not currently have a setback requirement, the state adopted the rule It aims to reduce methane emissions and other pollution from industry.

It was not immediately clear how much revenue the state would have to withhold by creating a new school buffer zone. Proceeds from developing state trust land benefit public schools, universities, state hospitals, and some water utilities. In November, the State Lands Authority announced it processed more than $300 million in oil and gas charges in October, setting a new one-month record for the agency. Earnings last fiscal year exceeded a record $2.4 billion.