NMED News:SANTA FE — The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) this week implemented a key change to its public comment portal to protect members of the public from any fraudulent use of their name in support or opposition of NMED actions. Starting this week, anyone who submits a public comment with an email address will receive an automated confirmation email acknowledging that NMED received the comment. The email then gives recipients the opportunity to confirm their comment or notify the Department if they did not submit or authorize the comment. To date, individuals have notified NMED that approximately 42 of the more than 17,500 comments submitted through the Department’s public comment portal on the Yucca Growth Infrastructure air quality permit application may have been fraudulent. NMED provided the New Mexico Department of Justice with information from its public comment portal to support the investigation into individuals or organizations that may have misused the public comment process for Yucca Growth Infrastructure’s air quality permit application.