SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 20

50th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2011

INTRODUCED BY

Eric G. Griego

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO ASSIGN TO THE APPROPRIATE LEGISLATIVE INTERIM COMMITTEE THE TASK OF INQUIRING INTO THE PLANNING FOR AND THE RESPONSE TO THE NATURAL GAS OUTAGE OF FEBRUARY 2011.

     WHEREAS, on February 3, 2011, hours after temperatures throughout New Mexico plummeted to record lows, the natural gas supply to tens of thousands of New Mexico homes and businesses was abruptly discontinued; and

     WHEREAS, while the cause of the interruption may have been beyond the state's or the New Mexico gas company's control, the responsibility for planning for and responding to the crisis rests squarely with state and local agencies and the gas company; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexicans received conflicting, confusing and potentially dangerous information during the height of the crisis about the timetable for restoring service, whether it was better to relight gas appliances on their own or wait for New Mexico gas company workers to do that task, how state offers of assistance to the New Mexico gas company were received, how individual claims should be filed with the New Mexico gas company and other issues; and

     WHEREAS, it is wholly unacceptable that communication and coordination prior to and during the gas outage between the New Mexico gas company and state and local government leaders and emergency responders was not better and had the effect of prolonging the crisis; and

     WHEREAS, it is in the state's interest to ensure that, to the extent possible, crises such as the natural gas outage are prevented, that the damage is minimized by a well-coordinated and robust response and that the recovery from such a crisis is efficient;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico legislative council be requested to direct the appropriate legislative interim committee to inquire into the planning for and response to the natural gas outage of February 2011 by various state and local agencies and the New Mexico gas company; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be delivered to the co-chairs of the New Mexico legislative council.

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