Environment Department
About the Department
Our mission is to protect and restore the environment and to foster a healthy and prosperous New Mexico for present and future generations. We implement our mission guided by four core values: science, innovation, collaboration, and compliance. We use the best available science to inform our decision making in protecting public health and the environment. We employ creative engineering and technical solutions to address environmental challenges. We engage communities and interested stakeholders in decision-making. Finally, we ensure compliance with state regulations and permits, leveling the playing field by holding polluters accountable.
We embrace our mission and core values at every level of our Department. As measured through our annual employee engagement survey, we’re a great place to work with approximately 90% of our employees stating they like the work they perform, 93% of our employees say the work they perform is important and 90% of our employees say their supervisor treats them with respect. We’re always looking for new, mission driven team members so come work with us to protect New Mexicans and our environment.
Most Popular Services

Cabinet Secretary: James Kenney
James Kenney has spent more than 21 years across two stints at the Environmental Protection Agency, most recently as senior policy advisor for oil and gas. In that role, he has worked with senior agency leadership and designed strategies to support environmentally responsible development of oil and natural gas resources while working with states, tribes, federal agencies and industries on regulatory and policy matters. Kenney has also served as a senior environmental engineer at the EPA, leading both civil and criminal investigations related to the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and other EPA statutes and regulations as well as developing strategic compliance and enforcement approaches on oil and natural gas exploration. He has also served as an EPA ozone program manager in Denver and been a senior environmental engineer at McCoy and Associates, an environmental engineering firm in Denver, as well as a consultant at the U.S. Department of Justice. Kenney holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in environmental engineering from Temple University.
Contact Information
Main Ph: 505-827-2855 (800-219-6157)
Headquarters Location
Harold Runnels Building
1190 St. Francis Dr. Suite N4050 Santa Fe, NM 87505
To request a meeting with us, please use our online form at https://www.env.nm.gov/request-a-meeting/
Most Popular Pages
- Events Calendar: https://www.env.nm.gov/events-calendar/
- Application Forms & Guidance: https://www.env.nm.gov/forms/
- COVID-19 Data and Resource Center: https://www.env.nm.gov/nmed-resources-for-covid-19/
- Laws and Regulations: https://www.env.nm.gov/regulatory-resources/
- About Us: https://www.env.nm.gov/about-us/
- Contact Us: https://www.env.nm.gov/contact-us/
- Public Records Requests: https://www.env.nm.gov/public-record-request/
- Request for Proposals: https://www.env.nm.gov/requests-for-proposals/
- Water Resources & Management: https://www.env.nm.gov/water/
- Funding Opportunities: https://www.env.nm.gov/funding-opportunities/