Adrian Hedden

Eddy County commissioners approved $5 million toward a $9.1 million replacement terminal at Carlsbad’s Cavern City Air Terminal. The new facility is expected to open in September 2027, enabling Contour Airlines’ larger jets to resume flights to Dallas-Fort Worth. Officials say the project could support additional destinations, attract business and allow future airport expansion.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland campaigned in Carlsbad, calling for limits on oil drilling on public lands while supporting a sustainable energy future. She also discussed nuclear waste shipments to WIPP and proposed a moratorium on artificial intelligence data centers. Republican opponent Gregg Hull criticized Haaland over campaign donations from Oracle and Project Jupiter executives.

The fifth annual Cavern City Renaissance Festival returns to Carlsbad Beach Sept. 25–26, transporting visitors to a world of knights, pirates, music, fire dancing and fantasy. Enjoy live performances, Festival Quest, themed foods including turkey legs and meat pies, plus local ales and mead. Tickets start at $22.18 for adults.

A five-person emergency lift at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant plunged 1,600 feet after its cable snapped during testing, intensifying concerns about aging hoist infrastructure and workplace safety. While no one was injured, union officials and watchdogs criticized the Department of Energy and contractor SIMCO for inadequate transparency and prioritizing waste disposal over worker protection.

WildEarth Guardians has sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for missing a deadline to decide whether the Pecos pupfish warrants threatened-species protections. Native to southeast New Mexico and West Texas, the fish faces dwindling river flows, industrial water use and oil and gas development. Agricultural and industry groups oppose proposed habitat restrictions, citing economic and conservation concerns.

Nuclear waste shipments from Washington’s Hanford Site to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad will resume after a 15-year pause. Hanford cleanup workers are preparing about 11,000 containers of transuranic waste for certification and transport.

The Savannah River Site in South Carolina will begin shipping highly radioactive, remote-handled waste to New Mexico’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant after testing confirmed containers posed no flammable-gas risk.

The Trump administration has proposed repealing the 2001 Roadless Rule, potentially opening 1.6 million acres of New Mexico national forests to logging and road construction, including 158,000 acres in Lincoln National Forest. Supporters cite wildfire prevention and local forest management, while environmentalists and Democratic lawmakers warn of industrial development, threats to wildlife and drinking water, and loss of undeveloped public lands.

In total, 25 parcels on 20,334 acres were leased in the three states, with the highest bids going to southeast New Mexico properties in the Permian Basin.

New Mexico officials proposed methane abatement rules targeting large oilfield leaks, including a “super emitter” reporting program and mandatory zero-emission electric pneumatic pumps by 2031. The Environment Department says swift action is needed to reduce pollution and waste, while oil and gas representatives question the compressed timeline, technical requirements and potential conflicts with existing regulations.

Carlsbad Mayor Rick Lopez said the encroachment on residential areas was a symptom of Carlsbad’s fast growth during a booming time for the oil and gas industry centered in southeast New Mexico’s Permian Basin region.

Despite its miniscule stature, the sagebrush lizard is at the center of a multi-year legal battle over tactics to protect the species from extinction.