Committee gives House Bill 390 a due‑pass to fund Curry County water lines after PFAS testimony

House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources on Feb. 20 gave House Bill 390 a due‑pass recommendation after receiving testimony about per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in Curry County groundwater.

Representative Zamora, sponsor of HB 390, told the committee that private wells near Cannon Air Force Base have PFAS concentrations far above federal guidance and that homeowners and ranchers have faced loss of property value and ongoing health concerns. "There’s an area affected by the PFOS contamination, and the values of the homes of the people in this area have dropped to 0 in some cases," Zamora said. He described the appropriation as a preventive measure to install finished water lines and stop pumping that could draw the plume toward Clovis.

Local officials and nonprofit witnesses supported the appropriation. Mary Garwood (earlier testifying on the bag bill) did not testify again on this item; the Environment Department confirmed strong agency support. Committee members pressed sponsor for technical details including the extent of contamination (sponsor said groundwater is contaminated and FSRA/EPA guidance prompted remediation timing) and whether affected homes were on private wells (Zamora confirmed most residents rely on private wells).

Representative Dixon moved a due‑pass recommendation on the bill and the committee approved the measure 9‑0. The clerk read the roll; those recorded voting yes were Representatives Abeyta, Dixon, Garcia, Guerrilla (recorded as "Gorilla" in the transcript), Henry, Montoya, Murphy, Sena Cortez and Chair McQueen.

Ending: The bill will advance with a due‑pass recommendation and proceed to subsequent committees and fiscal review as required.