A decontamination effort at a retention basin in west Albuquerque has sparked protests from wildlife advocates. They oppose the effort over concerns about its potential impact on local wildlife.
Angela Shomin captured video on Tuesday showing the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority (AMAFCA) pumping the basin dry. The operation reportedly buried local wildlife in the process.
“They are covering them with dirt and going to be running them over,” Shomin said via KOAT Action News, pertaining to the animals.
Shomin’s friend, Brit Walters, described her reaction to what she witnessed.
“It actually made me sick to my stomach,” Walters said. “I’m pretty traumatized by it. I don’t know how anybody in the[ir] right mind could bury something that’s living. We were told that they had a job to do and that they frankly didn’t care.”
The decontamination effort aims to clean the river and nearby waterways. Protesters gathered at the basin Wednesday morning, citing environmental concerns and the potential impact on ecosystems.
“There is just too many people fighting over too little amount of water,” protester Alex Price said. “There’s no way everyone is going to get what they want, and it just sucks that the one thing that’s going to suffer is the animals.”
Officials Respond to Wildlife Protest
Mark DiMenna, deputy director of Albuquerque’s Environmental Health Department, stressed the importance of preserving the city’s shared open spaces.
“The city’s open space is something that we all share that we all like to have the way it is,” DiMenna said.
The department stepped in on Wednesday after AMAFCA temporarily halted the pumping process. Officials said they support the decontamination effort but said crews must account for wildlife habitats.
The department stepped in Wednesday after AMAFCA temporarily halted the pumping process. Officials supported the decontamination effort but said crews must account for wildlife habitats.
“Wildlife is going to come to wherever it needs to come to get to water. Their habitat is shrinking on a daily basis,” DiMenna said. “So just recognizing that there’s wildlife that share this space and that they need to be dealt with accordingly is a step that we definitely want to see taken.”
AMAFCA returned to the basin Wednesday and worked with the Environmental Health Department to help move wildlife to safety.
The city said the process did not kill any animals.
Residents with environmental or wildlife welfare questions can contact Albuquerque’s Environmental Health Department by calling 311.
