No child should get sick just from going to school.

In communities like Counselor, New Mexico, students are missing class with headaches, nausea, and nosebleeds—all linked to pollution from nearby natural gas wells. At Lybrook Elementary, where nearly every student is Navajo, the air often smells like rotten eggs and propane. Children like Amari Werito are throwing up, missing school, and falling behind—just because they live and learn near fossil fuel operations.

This isn’t just happening in one place. Across New Mexico, nearly 30,000 children attend schools located within a mile of active oil and gas wells. Research shows that exposure to this kind of air pollution not only harms children's health—it also lowers their test scores and stunts their long-term academic potential.

In 2023, New Mexico’s land commissioner banned new oil and gas leases on state-owned land within a mile of schools. That was an important first step—but it’s not enough. Most land near schools isn't state-owned, and there’s still no statewide law that protects students from harmful drilling activity near their classrooms.

We’re calling on the New Mexico Legislature to pass a law that bans all oil and gas operations within one mile of any school—regardless of land ownership. Every child in New Mexico deserves a safe, healthy place to learn.

Let’s put our kids’ health ahead of oil and gas profits.

Photo: A sign protesting emissions from oil and gas stands across from Lybrook Elementary School, in Counselor, N.M., Navajo Nation via The Independent