New Mexico environment department updates public comment portal following fraud reports

The New Mexico Environment Department on Friday announced a change to its public comment portal, following reports of fraudulent submissions in support of a controversial data center’s air quality permits.

Source New Mexico reported in June that residents from three New Mexico cities said their names falsely appeared on letters urging state environment officials to approve air quality permits for the Project Jupiter data center after they were approached by canvassers for the project.

An environment department news release on Friday said the department thus far had been notified that approximately 42 of the more than 17,500 comments submitted through the Department’s public comment portal on the air quality permit application for project developer Yucca Growth Infrastructure may have been fraudulent, including ones submitted for public officials.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez in July opened an investigation the allegations of fraudulent submissions. In its news release Friday, NMED said it had shared information from the public comment portal with NMDOJ for its investigation and, depending on the outcome, “may pursue appropriate civil or criminal action against those responsible.”

Under the new protocol, people submitting public comments with an email address will receive an automated confirmation email that will give them the opportunity to confirm their comments or notify the Department if they did not submit or authorize them.

“The new process will allow individuals to quickly identify and report potentially fraudulent comments while preserving a simple and accessible process for legitimate public participation,” the news release stated.