The Navajo Nation Council voted 66-7 to approve a 50-year lease for a major power plant on the reservation.

The Desert Rock Energy Project would be located on 591 acres in northwestern New Mexico. Sithe Global Power, a Houston company, plans to build a 1,500-megawatt, coal-fired plant.

The lease agreement requires the company to pay $50 million in taxes and royalties a year. The plan would employ an estimated 400 people.

Some tribal members oppose the project. They say it will pollute the environment and harm a burial site and sacred sites.

Get the Story:
Navajo power plant lease approved, opponents vow to fight (AP 5/13)
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Desert Rock lease approved (The Farmington Daily Times 5/13)
Desert Rock gets land lease (The Gallup Independent 5/13)
Desert Rock hits snag regarding water rights (The Gallup Independent 5/12)

Relevant Links:
Desert Rock Energy Project - http://www.desertrockenergy.com
Din Citizens Against Ruining our Environment - http://dinecare.indigenousnative.org

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