Los Alamos Reporter

NMED Releases Third-Quarter Update Of Its Performance Assessment Report

NMED NEWS RELEASE

The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) released the third-quarter update of its performance assessment report that offers the public, stakeholders, and legislators the opportunity to track the Department’s progress in protecting public health and the environment.  

The new report, developed by NMED’s Office of Strategic Initiatives, is the third installment in reporting on 47 performance measures over five broad categories as follows:  

  • 7 public health measures,  
  • 9 environmental protection measures,  
  • 24 compliance measures,  
  • 4 economic investment measures, and  
  • 3 operational measures. 

“The Environment Department touches so many aspects of daily life for most New Mexicans, including protecting our food, workplaces, air quality, and water safety,” said NMED Cabinet Secretary James Kenney. “This report provides a great snapshot on the important work we perform every day across New Mexico. I am extremely proud of our state employees who make a difference in the lives New Mexicans.” 

The 47 performance measures largely stem from agreements between NMED and the Legislative Finance Committee for state fiscal year 2022 (i.e., July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022). This report covers the third quarter of the fiscal year (i.e., January 1, 2022  – March 31, 2022). A subsequent report will focus on the fourth quarter of the fiscal year.   

Highlights from the third quarter of fiscal year 2022 as found in the report include: 
 

  • Over 99% of New Mexicans breathed clean air. 
     
  • Over 89% of New Mexicans drank safe drinking water. 
     
  • 223 out of the 570 drinking water systems did not meet at least one standard during this period. 
     
  • Almost 12% of the restaurants and food manufacturers had one or more violations. 
     
  • The number of restaurant and food manufacturing permittees increased by 891 to total 7,409.  This number does not include special event or cannabis-related food permits.
     
  • We completed clean-up of 14 leaking petroleum storage tanks with a total of 870 remaining leaking petroleum storage tanks in varying stages of remediation. 
     
  • Some inspection programs are unlikely to meet their FY22 inspection targets due to resource issues stemming from a lack of staff and/or budget. This includes our air and groundwater programs. 
     
  • The compliance rate at hazardous waste management facilities was low at 47% which means 53% of the facilities inspected were in violation. However, our hazardous waste program inspected the smallest percentage of facilities. 
     
  • Our septic system program inspected the largest percentage of facilities this quarter and found the compliance rate to exceed 99%. 
     
  • Our vacancy rate remained about 24% during the third quarter as worked to recruit staff in our Human Resources Bureau. While we continue to on-board new employees, existing employees continue to find higher paying public and private sector jobs. In the fourth quarter, we instituted a variety of retention incentives to retain employees. 
     

View the FY22 Q3 Performance Report here.