Protect Tesuque is a community-driven organization committed to preserving our natural resources and ensuring that wastewater is properly regulated. We are fighting against Bishop’s Lodge’s hazardous wastewater disposal practices, which threaten our drinking water and environment.

We have achieved several key victories in our fight to protect the Tesuque community:

✅ Preventing Bishop’s Lodge from directly discharging wastewater into Tesuque Creek.

✅ Gaining legal standing to challenge Bishop’s Lodge’s wastewater permit.

✅ Securing IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, making donations tax-deductible.

✅ Building a strong legal case backed by environmental experts.

✅ Engaging over 60+ community members in weekly meetings and protests.

✅ Pushing state regulators to recognize the need for stricter environmental oversight.

Yes! Community support is crucial. Here are the key dates:

📅 March 18 – Protect Tesuque submits its final reply.

📅 Late March/Early April – Possible oral arguments (or judge’s ruling without argument).

📅 Mid-April – The ruling is sent to Secretary Kenney for a final decision.

📅 Week of May 19 – Tentative start for the full five-day hearing.

We will provide updates on how you can participate and make your voice heard.

The primary argument is that Bishop’s Lodge’s wastewater disposal plan violates state regulations and endangers public health. The Liquid Waste Regulations were specifically created to prevent unsafe wastewater practices like this. The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) has ignored these regulations by approving a permit that contradicts legal safety standards.

Key legal issues:

🔹 The proposed disposal site is undersized and too close to Tesuque Creek.

🔹 The system would release six times the legal wastewater limit into a field ten times too small.

🔹 The plan shifts all contamination risks to downstream neighbors, violating state law.

🔹 NMED is selectively applying regulations rather than enforcing the law properly.

Our legal team, led by Tom Hnasko, is highly experienced in environmental law. They have already won key rulings that allowed us to challenge Bishop’s Lodge’s permit. However, community participation is essential—we need public pressure to ensure state regulators make the right decision.

We prioritize transparency in spending. Donations go toward:

💰 Legal Fees – Expert environmental lawyers to challenge the permit.

💰 Scientific Analysis – Hydrologists and environmental specialists to support our case.

💰 Community Outreach – Informational meetings, flyers, and advocacy efforts.

💰 Legislative Action – Lobbying for stronger water protection laws.

An updated financial report will be shared at the next community meeting.

Legal battles are expensive. While we’ve raised funds to cover initial costs, we need up to $125,000 more to continue our legal fight and cover potential appeals. Every donation, big or small, helps us protect Tesuque’s water.

🚨 Groundwater contamination – The disposal site is too close to drinking wells and will leak untreated pollutants into Tesuque Creek.

🚨 Public health hazards – The system will not remove all dangerous contaminants, exposing residents to unknown health risks.

🚨 Environmental destruction – The excessive wastewater volume will overload local soils, leading to permanent damage.

🔹 The proposed disposal field is undersized by a factor of 10.

🔹 Wastewater exceeds safe discharge limits by 600%.

🔹 No testing is required for PFAs, heavy metals, or pharmaceuticals—all of which could be present in the discharge.

🔹 NMED’s own regulations prohibit this kind of plan, yet they are ignoring the rules.

Yes! There are two safer alternatives:

✅ Connecting to a public sewer system (as originally planned).

✅ Using an enclosed system that doesn’t discharge to ground.
Bishop’s Lodge chose not to do either and is instead trying to push contamination risks onto Tesuque residents.

New York Tims: Forever Chemicals Reach Tap Water via Treated Suage, Study Finds

New York Times: EPA Says Forever Chemicals Must Be Removed from Tap Water

PNAS: High organofluorine concentrations in municipal wastewater affect downstream drinking water supplies for millions of Americans

📢 Attend the March 20th community meeting at Tesuque Elementary School Gym.

✉️ Write to NMED leadership and demand they enforce the law.

📞 Call local politicians and tell them to support Tesuque’s water rights.

💰 Donate to Protect Tesuque to help fund legal and scientific experts.

🚶‍♂️ Join weekly protests outside Bishop’s Lodge every Saturday from 11 AM – 1 PM.

✅ A precedent-setting legal victory that will protect communities statewide.

✅ Stronger environmental enforcement from state regulators.

✅ A cleaner, safer water supply for Tesuque and surrounding areas.

✅ A community that fought back—and won.