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The Web / Organizations / NM Environmental Law Center (NMELC)

Dossier · Organization

NM Environmental Law Center (NMELC)

verification: unverified

The public-interest law firm challenging the county's bond approval in court and contesting the air permit, representing Sunland Park and Santa Teresa residents.

At a glance

Kind: Nonprofit
Role in the project: Litigant · Legal counsel
Key people: Kacey J. Hovden · Maslyn Locke · Eric Jantz
Public position: Publicly opposes the project — Filed Open Meetings Act suits seeking to void the county's bond ordinances for the project.^[1]
Verification: unverified
In the record: 5 sources · 7 connections · 8 dated entries
Record id: PJO16

Key facts

2025-10-17Filed the first Open Meetings Act suit on October 17, 2025, for the Empowerment Congress and two residents, seeking to void Ordinances 367 and 368.
2025-10-21Moved for a stay in the ordinance litigation on October 21, 2025.^[2]
2026-02-06Filed a second Open Meetings Act suit against the county on February 6, 2026.^[1]
2026-03-20A judge denied the motion to dismiss the IRB suit on March 20, 2026.^[5]
2026-01Sent NMED a 16-organization letter in January 2026 demanding transparency on the air permits.^[4]
2026-08-19With the Center for Biological Diversity, moved on August 19, 2026 to disqualify hearing officer Max Shepherd, who recused on August 22; the recusal was not a finding of bias.

The record

Two active lawsuits; represents Sunland Park / Santa Teresa

Relationships · 7

Represented by· 2

Staffed by

Eric Jantz

Has as party· 2

In litigation against

Doña Ana County Commission

Located at

Santa Teresa, Doña Ana County, NM

In the timeline · 8

Sep 19, 2025The $165B vote — 4 to 1 Oct 17, 2025The first Open Meetings Act suit is filed Oct 21, 2025NMELC files a motion for stay in the OMA challenge Feb 6, 2026The second Open Meetings Act suit is filed Mar 20, 2026Dismissal denied — and the stay denied too Aug 7–10, 2026The applicant files a brief the rules do not allow Aug 19, 2026The motion to remove the hearing officer Aug 22, 2026The hearing officer steps aside

Dated entries in the record that involve this party. Appearing here is not an allegation — it means the graph draws an edge from this dossier to that event.

Claims involving them · 1

One unit was tested. The permit scales it to 2,462 megawatts.primary-source

In the Watch · 2

eventNMELC demands Reynolds cease doxxing (Sept 8 2025)

documentNM County Industrial Revenue Bond Act (NMSA §§4-59-1…16)

Sources · 5

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