Navajo Nation In Crisis As EPA Tries To Shutter The West’s Largest Coal Plant

dailycaller.com ^ | 5/4/2016 | Joseph Hammond

[rktman]

The Navajo residents of Page, Ariz., have gotten to the point where they openly worry their modest rush hour may end altogether.

The rush hour consists of only a few hundred cars carrying 520 people out to the Navajo Generating Station (NGS), heading down a windy road to the coal-fired power plant, which is dramatically positioned on a ridge a mile from the shores of Lake Powell, the second largest man-made reservoir in the United States.

The Navajo coal plant’s lease is set to expire in 2019, pending complex negotiations aimed at extending operations until 2044. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations have complicated the plant’s future through so-called Regional Haze regulations, which were crafted to improve visibility and not curb pollution. In essence, the Navajo Nation and the region could lose a key source of economic prosperity to slightly improve tourists’ view of the Grand Canyon.

“Historically power plants and mines have been some of the best jobs for those in the nation, but the plants do more than just provide high paying jobs they have allowed the Navajo Nation to preserve its unique cultural identity.” says Arizona state Sen. Carlyle Begay, himself of Navajo heritage.

Begay recently switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican and is running for Congress in Arizona’s 1st District, in part because of his frustration over the role the EPA plays in the region. He’s frustrated EPA’s threatening the livelihoods of hundreds of Navajos in the name of a regulation that won’t improve public health — it’s purely there for aesthetics.

[Chgogal]

“Historically power plants and mines have been some of the best jobs for those in the nation, but the plants do more than just provide high paying jobs they have allowed the Navajo Nation to preserve its unique cultural identity.” says Arizona state Sen. Carlyle Begay, himself of Navajo heritage.

Kraut-yammer, aka, a member of the Uniparty supports the loss of good paying jobs. He has done nothing to stop Obama.

[vette6387]

“NM in play this election season? usually the rez votes D.”

Well Fox has moved NM from Cruz to Trump (and they did it a week ago). As for this power plant, only a Trump Presidency would save it from the EPA’s tentacles. I'd like to be there in person when Gina McCarthy is told to get out, and just take her coat and leave immediately!

[vette6387]

““Democrats hate Native Americans!!!!”

And Native Americans love Democrats!!! Go figure.”

And that is also true for Blacks, Hispanics, Jews, and women!

[DoughtyOne]

I think the media will play this idea up, but folks will come to their senses.

Perhaps after denying it for so long, folks will finally listen to Trump and find a lot they actually agree with after all.

[Sgt_Schultze]

President Trump needs to decommission many alphabet agencies. All regulations (which all carry the force of law) need to be submitted to Congress for considered debate and voted upon in regular order and sent along the normal path for approval by the Senate and the President. No more publishing in the Federal Register to be resisted - everything must be approved.

[2001convSVT]

After the EPA turned their river (and sole source of water) orange, I am sure that the Navajo Nation will do whatever it takes to keep their coal plant in operation, including open rebellion.

[Nifster]

Glad to hear that Begay has switched to republican....that is yuge

[Edward.Fish]

LOL! It just dawned on me that dem voters kinda suffer from “battered wife” syndrome. Constantly abused by the dems they ‘love’ but keep on hoping for change.

No different than a lot of Republican voters and the GOPe.
(Remind me what they've actually done while controlling the House of Representatives, which is in charge of funding.)

[IYAS9YAS]

This is in Arizona, but Trump should promise to hold this regulation until they are able to get some better pollution controls installed.

Yes, but it affects the Navajo Nation, which crosses AZ, NM, and UT.

[Edward.Fish]

It turns out that Watergate was not Richard Nixon’s biggest screwup by far.
I would put the creation of the EPA way, way up at the top of the list.

True; I'm hard-pressed to decide which is worse the EPA, which is quite destructive of property-rights, or the War on Drugs, which is quite destructive of the majority of the Bill of Rights.

[rktman]

Reminder. They’ve managed to enrich themselves.

[Mr. K]

Indian reservations are actually DIFFERENT NATIONS

I don’t understand why they put up with this crap from Washington

[free-in-nyc]

Trump should campaign there.

[Edward.Fish]

Good point.

[okie01]

WhT I’m wondering is if the EPA has full jurisdiction over Indian lands in the first place? Or will they exercise authority if nobody in the administration stops them? What’s really going on here?

The EPA doesn't necessarily need authority over Indian lands to do what they're doing. They have authority over atmospheric conditions across state lines.

[az_gila]

AZ CD1 is a large district covering a lot of Indian land. It dipped all the way down into N. Tucson to suck out some of the more conservative parts of Tucson and put them in a (D) area.

Kirkpatrick (D) got in 52/47, but if the conservative trend continues and Obama/Hillary start to p**s off the Indians...

[ManHunter]

Absolutely! It’s a war against Native Americans!

[Fresh Wind]

I wonder what Fauxcahontas would have to say about this?

[RightGeek]

[rktman]

Oh, and coal fired power plants too.