Following lengthy local and expert testimony, the Air Quality Board Hearing Officer recommended denial of Roper Construction's Air Quality permit to construct a cement batch plant 35 miles east of Hwy. 48 on the north side of Airport Road. An approved Air Quality permit is a necessary early step in construction of such a plant.That recommendation was sustained by the Deputy Secretary of the New Mexico Environment Department. The Department issued a Final Order on June 22, 2022, ordering the denial of the permit.Roper Construction appealed the Secretary's order. A hearing on that appeal is scheduled to begin Oct. 18, 2022, before the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board. Information for viewing remotely via WebEx is posted at the Alto Coalition for Environmental Preservation website altocep.org. First Christian Church, 1211 Hull Road, has offered a live venue, opening their doors at 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 18 for both watching the hearing and public comment.Legal fees are substantial and mounting. Information as to how to contribute (tax deductible) is also available at altocep.org.Virginia ThompsonAlto, N.M.