SANTA FE – New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has been outspoken about cracking down on methane emissions, but the advisory panel tasked with creating recommendations is meeting behind closed doors.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports even the time and place of the panel’s meetings are kept private.
There have been no published agendas or meeting minutes on what the panel has discussed despite the political importance of the sessions.
Panel members and a spokeswoman for the governor say that in addition to the meetings being largely technical, making them public would thwart frank discussion.
The panel includes industry representatives and environmental lawyers. None has talked about what has taken place at the meetings.
The state expects to hold public meetings on the panel’s final report before the end of the year.
