CEHMM was established in May of 2004 as a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to reducing the impact of hazardous materials on the environment. Since its inception, CEHMM has identified and pursued applied research projects that have nation-wide impact and are innovative, meaningful, and practical.
CEHMM has created a wide range of cutting edge applied research programs including developing technology for using algae for biofuels, biomonitoring for the H5N1 (avian influenza) and West Nile viruses, and cooperative conservation of species listed as “warranted but precluded” on the federal endangered species list. CEHMM has had swift advances in these projects due to the varied talents of the CEHMM staff and directors, and the organization’s success in developing strong partnerships with universities, national laboratories, and private industry. These partnerships include New Mexico State University (Las Cruces, New Mexico), Western Refining (El Paso, Texas), the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the City of Carlsbad, New Mexico.
CEHMM Algae Biofuels Project
CEHMM is leading a collaboration in southeastern New Mexico to produce biofuels from microalgae. This collaboration includes: New Mexico State University (Las Cruces, New Mexico), Western Refining (El Paso, Texas), and the City of Carlsbad. The project’s innovative approach, coupled with New Mexico’s natural resources, make this an ideal and unique opportunity to create jobs in rural areas and develop a strong new industry for the state and ultimately the nation.
CEHMM has conducted research and development involving novel methods of addressing technical challenges associated with producing fuel from microalgae. Research time and cost have been reduced by identifying several newly developed proprietary processes from other industrial sectors and applying them to algae biofuel production.
The use of microalgae as a biodiesel feedstock has the potential to make biodiesel a viable replacement for significant quantities of petrodiesel, thereby supporting state initiatives and state laws, reducing American dependence on foreign oil, and reducing net global CO2 emissions. Biodiesel contains no sulfur or aromatics, and use of biodiesel in a conventional diesel engine results in substantial reduction of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulate matter. A DOE study showed that the production and use of biodiesel, compared to petroleum diesel, resulted in a 78.5% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions — a major greenhouse gas. Moreover, biodiesel has a positive energy balance. In addition to biodiesel, microalgae may be used to create a variety of other fuels, including gasoline and jet fuel.
Energy security has become a national priority due to the instability of imported petroleum supply and cost. CEHMM’s biofuel research and development can help address this issue by developing new, non-food feedstock for use in biofuel production. If CEHMM can successfully demonstrate that algae can be economically grown on non-arable land in the U.S., biofuels from algae have the potential to displace billions of gallons of imported petroleum annually.
More CEHMM Projects
Biomonitoring
The CEHMM biomonitoring project has been established to sample the Chihuahuan Raven population, a universally recognized scavenger species that bioaccumulates pathogens and toxins. The birds are sampled for the H5N1 (avian influenza) and West Nile viruses, as well as environmental toxins such as black market pesticides. The intent of this study is to establish baseline information in the area of southern New Mexico, west Texas, and the U.S.- Mexico border regions of New Mexico and Texas. Through monitoring of this “sentinel” species, an area of detection or “sentinel curtain” can be identified that, through continual monitoring, will show the arrival and/or distribution of these viruses and toxins. This biomonitoring project will require several years to establish baseline information and obtain statistical power.
CEHMM is currently monitoring Chihuahuan Ravens in the sentinel curtain target region in cooperation with Dr. Marco Restani of St. Cloud University. Dr. Restani is internationally recognized in the field of wildlife forensics. This project also has support from Los Alamos National Laboratory, the New Mexico Department of Health, and the New Mexico Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Sciences Division.
As information from this project becomes available, it will be shared with: the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the New Mexico Department of Health, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Federal Bureau of Land Management.
Co-operative Conservation
CHEMM has been participating in regional and national committees and task forces to provide technical expertise in the development of regulatory relief in the form of assurances for industry(s) doing work in areas occupied by threatened or endangered species. Additionally, this project creates a Conservation Fund Mitigation Bank intended to help private investors who wish to make direct contributions to conservation programs of their choice. CEHMM serves as the administrator of these funds. The project also encompasses assisting the BLM in defining the range and distribution of the Lesser Prairie Chicken, and the Sand Dune Lizard both of which are currently “warranted but precluded” species of concern on the federal endangered species list. Listing of either species could encumber activities in oil and gas exploration and production, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site, and other prospective industrial sites.