New Mexico Court To Settle Dispute Over Pollution Rules

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Environmentalists say New Mexico isn't going far enough to protect the state's limited groundwater supplies from copper mining operations. Regulators say they have the toughest rules in the West. After years of legal wrangling, it's now up to the New Mexico Supreme Court to decide. The justices are hearing arguments in the case Wednesday. Environmentalists want the court to set aside the rule and require the state to adopt new regulations to prevent pollution. They argue the regulations violate the state Water Quality Control Act and give mining companies too much leeway to pollute groundwater. The New Mexico Environment Department says the regulations are among the most stringent of any copper-producing state in the West and strike a balance between protecting water and allowing for economic development.