Company rescinds request to recycle wind turbines, solar panels

One of the two public hearings scheduled for the Chaves County Commissioners’ meeting on Thursday was removed from the agenda after a property owner asked via email that the request be withdrawn.

There will be no recycling of these items by Destructable’s personnel at their current location, 6376 Clovis Highway. An agreement created in June between the business owners and the volunteers on the Planning and Zoning Commission, an advisory to the Chaves County Commissioners, is no longer necessary. 

The hands of 17 people went up in response to Commissioner Michael Perry asking how many at the meeting were opposed to that type of recycling operation to get the information on the record.

“This function was never approved for that location,” Perry also said to the audience that was much larger than normal. 

The owners of a Zone D Industrial area had first sought an amendment to the original 2006 zoning change, allowing industrial-style outside storage of farm and construction items. The change became official at the beginning of this year.

County officials discovered the recycling operation in March. The owners of Destructable LLC asked to be able to continue this operation. 

County staff then placed a “stop-work order” on Destructable in April and May.

An adjacent business, Rudy’s Towing, wrote to the city in May explaining their concerns about the small pieces of fiberglass floating away from Destructable’s first-phase processing of the recyclable blades and solar panels and moving small pieces of fiberglass onto their property. The material was causing employees of Rudy’s sore throats and itchy eyes that with continued exposure could lead to “a risk of long-term health consequences.”

During a meeting in June of the county’s Planning and Zoning Commission, Destructable’s owners were provided guidelines if they were to continue this type of recycling: to cease shredding these products at the Clovis Highway location; to comply with all state and federal regulations for the recycling of wind blades when such regulations are implemented; to haul away the existing shredded material within a two-week period; and to conduct future shredding within an enclosed facility that will accommodate all equipment and provide storage.

The business removed the shredding machine after the planning and zoning advisory commission meeting and it “won’t be back,” said Louis Jaramillo, director of planning and zoning for the county.

New Mexico’s Air Quality Division, Solid Waste Bureau and Hazardous Waste Bureau don’t regulate this activity. A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) representative also told the county there was no regulation pertaining to recycling fiberglass from these types of products. 

However, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) advises that its permissible exposure limit for fiberglass is 15 milligrams per cubic meter total and just five milligrams per cubic meter in respiratory exposure, in the workplace during an 8-hour shift, OSHA’s website explains. Jaramillo also said the remaining items on the property related to the recycling work will be removed on a timetable worked out between the county and business owners. 

State legislators in Texas approved bills that beefed up regulations for this specific type of recycling during their most recent session. It’s unknown whether Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed house bills 3228 and 3229 or simply allowed them to become law without his signature. The pair of bills requires certain alternative energy producing equipment, wind turbines and solar panels, to be properly recycled or if not possible, or disposed adequately. This is why Oklahoma has been receiving the sectioned materials, county staff also said.  

The blades and panels will be sent to Oklahoma for full processing.

Crossroads rezone: The zoning request by the owners of the restaurant Crossroads Express, 6314 Old Dexter Highway in Dexter, was approved Thursday by the commissioners. The Zone B agricultural-residential land is becoming Zone C, Type 2, community-commercial district, for the eatery. 

One of the owners, Richard McCay, said he had heard about the business that had occupied that building, the Crossroad store, particularly how much of a tradition that place had been for long-time residents.

McCay also told the commissioners that having a place to eat “between Roswell and Artesia” was good idea and it seemed right to “keep the tradition going.” 

“When I popped in there, I was excited,” said Commissioner Dara Dana, who has lived in that area for 35 years. “When it was abandoned, it broke my heart.”

Final budget: Commissioner also approved the 2025-26 fiscal year final budget along with a budget adjustment and fourth quarter financial report for the 2025 fiscal year

The county reports a beginning fund balance of  $152.4 million and revenues of $61.6 million during the 2026 fiscal year, which began July 1. Budgeted expenditures are projected to reach $81.9 million in the 2026 fiscal year. The ending fund balance for 2026 is expected be $132.1 million.