“We thank Senator Cortez Masto for her quick and timely statement of opposition to overturning the BLM methane rule. She rightly points out that it is ‘irresponsible’ for Congress to overturn a rule that will prevent more than $330 million worth of natural gas from being wasted on public and tribal lands by venting, flaring, and leaking natural gas into the air,” said Al Martinez, HECHO Advisory Board Member.

Last week, the groups called on Senators Sens. Dean Heller, Catherine Cortez Masto, John McCain, and Jeff Flake to oppose a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that would overturn the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s natural gas waste rule and prohibit the agency from taking future action. The groups sent letters, ran online and radio ad campaigns, and met with elected officials calling on Senators to oppose the rollback.

The BLM rule was created with the input of thousands, via community meetings, shared stories and testimonies from those most affected by this methane pollution. The CRA would permanently harm taxpayers and pollute the air for communities throughout the West. The CRA passed the U.S. House of Representatives last Friday, though it did face bipartisan opposition. A vote in the Senate is expected as early as this week.

“We are grateful for Senator Cortez Masto’s continued leadership and advocacy on behalf of our families and communities. By opposing the Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to block the BLM natural gas waste rule, she is making it clear that it is unacceptable to put oil and gas company interests ahead of the communities’ well-being,” said Ben Monterroso, executive director of Mi Familia Vota. “We expect that Senator Heller will follow suit and listen to what Latino voters are asking for by opposing this attempt to allow the oil and gas industry to waste taxpayer money while polluting our air.”

The “Latino Partnership to Cut Waste, Protect Our Health” effort follows more than two years of education and outreach efforts by the Hispanic Access Foundation and HECHO to highlight how natural gas waste harms taxpayers and public health for Latinos in the Rockies.