New Mexico marks progress with oil well plugging program

NEW MEXICO (AP) — New Mexico land managers say more than 130 abandoned oil and natural gas wells have been plugged on state trust lands as part of an enforcement program that began two years ago.Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard announced the progress Thursday, saying the savings to taxpayers are significant. She said plugging wells can cost anywhere from $50,000 to more than double that depending on the site. Federal dollars going toward plugging orphaned wells in New Mexico&ldqu