NMED Air Permit Hearing — July 21, 2026
The most important near-term intervention point.
What’s at stake: NMED is reviewing two air construction permits for Yucca Growth Infrastructure (formerly Acoma LLC) — each filed just below the 250 ton/year Title V major source threshold. Combined they emit ~499 tons/year of NOx from the same site, same owner, same SIC code. EPA’s aggregation rules require they be treated as one source.
What to do:
- Go to env.nm.gov/air-quality
- Search for “Yucca Growth Infrastructure” permit applications
- Submit written comments before the hearing deadline
- Attend the July 21 public hearing if you are in New Mexico
What to say in your comment:
- The two permit applications must be aggregated under EPA three-part test (same site, same ownership, same SIC code)
- Combined NOx emissions (~499 tons/year) exceed the Title V major source threshold
- Doña Ana County is in ozone nonattainment — PSD/NSR review is required
- The 50× water discrepancy (1M gal/day vs. stated 20,000 gal/day) must be addressed in the air permit record
- The permit-splitting is an illegal evasion of Title V requirements
FERC Gas Pipeline — Ongoing
The “Green Chile Project” 17-mile gas pipeline is a prerequisite for the Jupiter campus. If it fails, the entire power supply plan collapses.
What to do:
- Go to efiling.ferc.gov/efilingsystems/ecomment.asp
- Search for “Green Chile Project”
- Submit comments supporting FERC staff’s own objections (incomplete application, missing cultural site reviews)
- Reference the NM State Land Office’s denial of state land segments — ask FERC to require a complete environmental review before any approval
Ethics Complaints
Shannon Reynolds — Deadline September 2026
Reynolds doxxed anti-Jupiter commenters (including ICE-vulnerable border residents) on Facebook on September 5, 2025. He subsequently voted YES on the IRB on September 19. No formal ethics complaint has been filed.
File at: ethics.nm.gov — NM Ethics Commission complaint form
Deadline: September 2026 (three-year statute of limitations from September 5, 2025 incident)
What to include: Screenshots of the Facebook posts; date of vote (September 19, 2025); timeline showing he voted 14 days after doxxing opponents
Christopher Schaljo-Hernandez — No Deadline
Schaljo-Hernandez served simultaneously on the MVEDA board (the entity that recruited Jupiter) while chairing the commission that approved it, without disclosure or recusal.
File at: ethics.nm.gov
What to include: MVEDA board membership records; date of IRB vote; fact that he was given unilateral signing authority over final bond documents; NMSA 10-2-1 conflict of interest provisions
June 2 Primary — Vote
Three candidates connected to this investigation are on the June 2, 2026 Doña Ana County Democratic primary ballot:
| Race | Candidate | Connection |
|---|---|---|
| County Assessor | Shannon Reynolds | Voted YES on IRB; doxxed anti-Jupiter residents; resigned |
| District 3 Commission | Jose Ibarra | Active BorderPlex consultant; publicly supported IRB at Sept 19 hearing |
| District 1 Commission | Daisy Maldonado | Fired after CAA-SNM ordered her organization to drop the lawsuit; running as reform candidate |
Register/verify registration: sos.nm.gov
Early voting opens before June 2. Check your county clerk’s office.
Support the Lawsuit
NMELC is litigating NMELC v. Doña Ana County on Open Meetings Act grounds. The case is proceeding on merits after the court denied the county’s motion to dismiss.
Donate to NMELC: nmelc.org
Contact NMELC: khovden@nmelc.org (attorney Kacey Hovden)
Tip Journalists
If you have documents, records, or knowledge about this project that is not public:
ProPublica SecureDrop (Tor browser required):33xu4yhum2eiisxm6fntaslayop76fvaqgt3ak5dakdm3t7cub25cead.onion
Bloomberg SecureDrop (Tor browser required):ogdwaroarq4p6rnfn2hl4crvldyruyc2g24435qtxmd3twhevg7dsqid.onion
Heath Haussamen / Source NM:
sourcenm.com/contact — web contact form
How to use SecureDrop anonymously:
- Download Tor Browser
- Open Tor Browser
- Paste the .onion address into the URL bar
- Follow the on-screen instructions to submit files
- Write down your codename — you’ll need it to receive responses
File Public Records Requests
NMSU NDA (status unknown)
Request: Full BorderPlex/NMSU contract text, all communications between NMSU and BorderPlex regarding the contract, all IPRA requests NMSU has disclosed to BorderPlex or declined to release because of the contract
File with: NMSU IPRA office — records@nmsu.edu
Doña Ana County Commission
Request: All communications regarding September 19, 2025 closed session; final bond document execution communications; MVEDA-Schaljo-Hernandez correspondence
File with: Doña Ana County Clerk
NMED Air Permits
Request: Full administrative record for both Yucca Growth Infrastructure permit applications; all internal communications regarding aggregation analysis
File with: NMED Inspection Bureau records office
Contact the NM Legislature
Ray Lara represents House District 34 — the Jupiter project district. He serves on the CAA-SNM board and has made no public statement on this project.
Contact your own representatives and ask:
- Why was the NMSU NDA permitted?
- Why was the Strategic Water Supply Act written to benefit a single project?
- Why did the Governor commit to this project seven months before the public vote?