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Stansbury Takes Office, PFAS Accountability, and Blazing Spring Heat


This week on New Mexico in Focus, after testifying at a congressional hearing on PFAS last week, New Mexico Environment Secretary James Kenney joins the show to talk about trying to pressure the federal government to set standards for exposure to the toxic chemicals. Meanwhile, the Air Force claims it’s moving forward with remediation for a PFAS plume at Cannon Air Force Base. Laura Paskus interviews both men. 

Gene Grant speaks with Rep. Melanie Stansbury, whose victory in the special election for New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District was watched closely by politicos in the U.S. and abroad. The congresswoman, who was sworn into office Monday, discusses her policy priorities. 

The Line opinion panel takes up a topic on everyone’s sweat-soaked brow this week: unseasonably hot late-spring heat. Climate change and megafires to the west have combined to turn mid-June into a miserable slog for much of the state. The group also talks about upcoming cannabis legalization and potential pitfalls, as well as what progress – if any – has been made by city leaders in Santa Fe and Albuquerque after protests of colonialist statues and monuments last summer. 

Host: Gene Grant 

The Line Opinion Panel: 
Dede Feldman, former state senator 
Inez Russell Gomez, editorial page editor, Santa Fe New Mexican 
TJ Trout, radio host, KKOB 

Segment(s)
A Conversation with Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury                                                                     
Guest: Rep. Melanie Stansbury, (D-NM) 1st Congressional District 

The Struggle for PFAS Pollution Accountability 
Correspondent: Laura Paskus 
Guests: 
Chris Gierke, remedial project manager, U.S. Air Force 
Sec. James Kenney, NM Environment Department