Navajos Intend To Sue Over Proposed Coal-Fired Power Plant (Not what you think!)

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | January 23, 2008 | Susan Montoya Bryan

[CedarDave]

The article says the air permit would limit emissions covered under the federal Clean Air Act including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, particulates and lead emissions. It notes that the New Mexico Environment Department and environmental groups have criticized the draft permit for not including enforceable conditions to address visibility issues and for not analyzing mercury or carbon dioxide emissions.

If the environmental groups and Bill Richardson's Environment Department continue to delay or eventually derail this proposal, the tribe will be left with building casinos to raise money. /sar

However, it is more likely that the EPA bureaucrats will drag their feet until next year when the possibility of a Democrat president will order the EPA to kill this and all new coal fired power projects to prevent "global warming."

[grundle]

I think they should build nuclear power plants instead, which would be much better for the environment.

[Ron in Acreage]

Since Indian lands are “sovereign” they should also start drilling for oil.

[La Enchiladita]

Whatever happened to the Peabody Coal Co.? They used to do all the coal mining on the Rez.

[wastedyears]

Get rid of the EPA as well.

[Cicero]

Bush hasn’t done much to improve the EPA from the clinton years.

[Redcitizen]

Its a question of whether we want money, jobs or water.
Here’s a news article to answer some of your questions and riase some new ones.

http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096412873

[denydenydeny]

Another demonstration that the EPA’s authority supersedes that of the Constitution—they can actually break treaties at will.

[Uriah_lost]

Don’t the Navajo have lots of uranium on thier lands? It would make sense for them to get the boost from that too.

[CedarDave]

They have oil and gas on the reservation in NM and are pumping. The BLM issues permits since the lands are Federal.

[SuziQ]

Ah, these names are familiar; Chee, Tsosie... I’m a fan of Tony Hillerman’s novels about the legendary Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, and Navajo Tribal policeman, Jim Chee. They meet up with characters the the last name of Tsosie, from time to time.

[CedarDave]

Peabody is still north of Gallup, I believe.

[CedarDave]

The environmentalists (with some help from the industry back in the 70’s and early 80’s) have so demonized uranium mining that nothing will ever be mined in NW NM ever again. If you propose a mine, its like proposing you drive on the wrong side of the interstate after consuming a six-pack of beer.

[La Enchiladita]

I think the Peabody mine I visited in Arizona, don’t recall exact location. The strip miner was the largest piece of machinery I had ever seen.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***The 1,500-megawatt plant would be built on tribal land near the Navajo community of Burnham, southwest of Farmington. The area already is home to two other coal-fired plants. ... ***

There was a plan to build a power plant at Burnham thirty years ago but it was cancelled when the Indians threw a fit over the closing of the Fairchild plant in Shiprock and the murder of several Indian men at Farmington in 1974.(Bad times then.)

The other plants there are the San Juan Power plant and the APS plant at Waterflow.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***The environmentalists (with some help from the industry back in the 70’s and early 80’s) have so demonized uranium mining that nothing will ever be mined in NW NM ever again.***

My dad worked at the Rattlesnake mine outside of La Sal, UT way backin 1955. Years later, I found my sister-in-law’s husband worked at the same mine that same year.

I remember seeing lots of mining claims in the area as a child. Last time we visited there none of the claim markers were evident anywhere.

We moved from the gas fields of Farmington to Moab, then back to Farmington in those years. The best years of our lives! I miss them.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***I think the Peabody mine I visited in Arizona, don’t recall exact location. The strip miner was the largest piece of machinery I had ever seen.***

If it is the one at Black Mesa I believe it is closed now.

[La Enchiladita]

Thank you for the reference article.

I recall the name Big Mountain as being in opposition to the strip mining activities of Peabody Coal. This was back in the mid-80s that I became aware of this. I even had a letter to the editor vs. Peabody published in the L.A. Times...!

I now recall that it was the Black Mesa mine that I visited in 1989. We got quite a spiel from our guide.

I guess those in favor say that this provides job security for Navajo people. However, without good water, people simply cannot live and will disappear like the Anasazi did.

For the time being, it looks like Desert Rock is stalled, but the link to the article is not working for me.

[La Enchiladita]

Okay. Yes, it was Black Mesa.

[eyedigress]

In my neck of the woods we have Coal, Hydro, and Nuclear all within 60 miles. None of it has an effect. (except light and power in my house).

These people are disillusioned by everything and create nothing but destruction of progress