Thursday, July 9, 2009

"Mora County drilling faces fight" -Santa Fe New Mexican


"A group of concerned Mora County residents continued their fight to prevent oil and gas drilling in the rural county at a meeting Monday night in the village of Mora.

The county commissioners held a special meeting at the local high-school gym to discuss the issue, and an estimated 400 people lined up to hear three hours of testimony, according to the group Drilling Mora County.

The group claims fewer than half a dozen speakers out of 48 supported drilling at the meeting. Johnny Micou of Drilling Santa Fe, which fought drilling in the Galisteo Basin, was among the drilling opponents who spoke at the meeting.

Bob Gallagher of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association spoke on behalf of the industry. A couple of ranchers from elsewhere in New Mexico talked about how oil and gas operations had impacted their operations."