Residents demand Spanish notices, expert briefing on new lead-and-copper rule

Residents pressed the Las Cruces City Council on Feb. 4 to provide clearer, bilingual outreach and an expert briefing about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new Lead and Copper Rule.

The most detailed public appeals came during the public participation period, when Lynn Moore, a Las Cruces resident, said she and other citizens had submitted a petition and that a briefing presented previously was "flawed and didn't provide any opportunity for the public to ask questions or make comments." Moore said the petition included 52 signatures asking for a city-council-level briefing so council members and the public could hear experts and ask questions.

Liz Rodriguez Johnson, another resident, told the council she was "deeply disturbed" that Las Cruces Utilities' mailed notice about the new rule was not printed in Spanish. "Because Las Cruces is a majority Hispanic population, Las Cruces Utilities letters of major import have traditionally been English on one side and Spanish on the other," she said, adding that sending only an English letter or directing people to a website that can be translated is insufficient.

Resident Nathan Ramirez also criticized the city's communications and asked why Las Cruces does not offer free sampling of customer tap water the way the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority does. Ramirez also pressed the city to explain the methods it uses to classify pipes as non-lead, noting that EPA guidance requires evidence-based records or techniques to support such classifications.

The council did not take a formal vote on policy at the meeting. A council member announced that a community briefing is scheduled March 4 that will include city utilities and state environmental staff and allow live public participation and questions. The council member said the event would be held at City Hall from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.; a representative present at the Feb. 4 meeting described the session as intended to provide a fuller forum than a council meeting for technical presentations and public Q&A.

Why it matters: Residents said the city's chosen notice method risks leaving Spanish-speaking households unaware of possible health risks and of opportunities for testing and resources under the new rule. They also stressed that inaccurate public statements by elected officials could mislead residents about whether their service lines require further action.

What supporters asked for: Multiple speakers asked the council to order Las Cruces Utilities to send bilingual (English/Spanish) mailed notices immediately, to offer or fund free sampling for customer tap water, and to hold an expert-led, council-level briefing so both councilors and the public can ask technical questions.

City response and next steps: Councilors and staff acknowledged the concerns on Feb. 4 and confirmed the March 4 briefing. City staff and environmental experts were not quoted at length in public remarks on Feb. 4; no ordinance or formal policy change was adopted at that meeting.

Ending: Residents who spoke said they will monitor the March 4 briefing and expect bilingual materials and clear answers about sampling methods. The council scheduled that community briefing; any formal changes to notice procedures or sampling services would require subsequent staff action or future council direction.