Officials extend workers camp ban as they finalize ordinance

CARLSBAD, N.M. (AP) — County commissioners have extended a ban on new camps for oil workers in a northeastern New Mexico community while they work with constituents to draft new regulations for the so-called man camps. The move comes after residents of the north Carlsbad community gathered hundreds of signatures in petitions asking Eddy County commissioners to adopt an ordinance to regulate the camps they feared would create a safety hazard. The Carlsbad Current-Argus reports (http://bit.ly/2wbEZqt ) Eddy County commissioners have banned new camps from being built for an additional 40 days while they work with legal counsel to finalizing the language on the ordinance and schedule public hearings. Officials say the ordinance draft could be revised after public meetings in early August. They hope to hold a final vote at their Sept. 5 meeting. ___ Information from: Carlsbad Current-Argus, http://www.currentargus.com/