ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's senior U.S. senator says plans for diverting water from the Gila River are fatally flawed and residents are rightly concerned about the cost of the proposed project.
Democrat Tom Udall made his comments Thursday after a panel of state regulators delayed action on a work plan that details environmental reviews, legal services and other activities needed as part of the project.
It could be September before the Interstate Stream Commission considers the plan again. Commissioners indicated they want to review a draft environmental impact statement prepared for the project.
Officials are facing a deadline this year to have the reviews completed. It would then be up to the U.S. Interior Department to grant approval.
Environmentalists have been fighting the proposal for years, suggesting that millions of dollars would be spent for little return.