Letter: Hold Navajo Nation accountable for impacts

Friday, February 9, 2007  

"The proposed Desert Rock Power Plant does not need to exist. Peter Wirth's (D-Santa Fe) comment 'Sovereignty is there but air moves,' deserves great attention. Sovereign Nation or not, the Navajo Nation needs to be held accountable for the negative impact of its development on its land, water and air.

I live south of Farmington and east of the power plants. At night, I enjoy looking at stars. When I use my flashlight during the telescope setup, I notice particulates floating by, from west to east.

When I watch the weather on the news channel, most of the storms move from west to east. When I look at the La Plata Mountains, I see yellow haze over Farmington, the La Plata Valley and Durango, Colo. I visually follow the yellow haze and it ends at the Four Corners and San Juan Generating Station Power Plants.

Knowing the weather pattern and the origin of the yellow haze only makes me believe that this is not just a Four Corners problem. It is everyone's problem.

The irony is that electricity will be made and sold to Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nev., and California. In return, the Four Corners will get additional air pollutants from these areas by the prevailing air currents."

Get the Story:
Eddie Begaye: Power plant pollution clouds star gazer's view (The Farmington Daily Times 2/9)

Relevant Links:
Desert Rock Clean Air Act Proposed PSD Permit - http://www.epa.gov/region09/air/permit
Desert Rock Energy Project - http://www.desertrockenergy.com
Dine Citizens Against Ruining our Environment - http://dinecare.indigenousnative.org

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