New Mexico is the latest state to consider a truck idling limit.

The New Mexico Environment Department is working on a proposed idling limit for commercial trucks that weigh 16,001 pounds and more.

Gov. Bill Richardson signed an executive order in 2006 to cut the state’s greenhouse gas emissions to 75 percent below 2000 levels by the year 2050. Richardson also created a Climate Change Action Implementation Team to implement the order.

Florida, Minnesota and Colorado all have moved to develop idling limits in recent months as part of broader greenhouse gas emission reduction initiative, and California’s recent implementation of a five-minute limit has drawn attention.

The New Mexico Environment Department has scheduled four informational open houses on the topic. The first one was Jan. 9. The next three are:

• Mesilla, NM, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 16, in the Board of Trustees Room at the Mesilla Town Hall, located at 2231 Avenida de Mesilla;
• Gallup, NM, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 23, in the Octavia Fellin Public Library Meeting Room, 115 W. Hill Ave.; and
• Santa Rosa, NM, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 30, in the City Hall meeting room, located at 244 S. 4th St.

– By Charlie Morasch, staff writer
charlie_morasch@landlinemag.com