Tom Udall - New Mexico's attorney general - Interview

New Mexico Business Journal, Oct, 1993 by Dennis Wall

We know from some recent discussions with them that PNM would like to find another alternative. PNM doesn't want to be the big, bad power company building a line over one of the last pristine areas in New Mexico. I'm hopeful we're going to get an agreement.

Q. Several months ago you challenged the major oil companies on the issue of gasoline prices in New Mexico. Are you satisfied with the response?

A. We were satisfied in the sense that we did get answers and every single company responded. We're now exploring those explanations. We may well be talking to the legislature on the matter next time around. If there is price-fixing going on, we'll have to take some action.

Q. Petroglyph National Monument near Albuquerque is experiencing serious development pressures from both private and public entities. How is the AG's office involved in that issue?

A. We're involved on the Petroglyph and Paseo del Norte issues because we have a client, the State Historic Preservation Office, and there is a state land and a state park that's affected by what goes on in the area. It seems to me the cutting edge issue here is the National Monument issue. The National Park Service has said the road is not going to have a Park purpose, and we don't believe it would be a legal road. So the big confrontation, if it comes, will probably be between the city and the National Park Service. I'm hoping that through our offices here, we can work out a compromise and won't have to have litigation.

Dennis Wall is a freelance writer in Santa Cruz, N.M.