BLACK MESA

History

In what is now known as northeastern Arizona, the Navajo and Hopi people continue to thrive on a land that they have safe guarded since their emergence into this world. Today, the Navajo Nation manages a land base the size of Ireland with a membership base of approximately a quarter million. The Hopi Tribe expands over three mesas and twelve villages, with a population of around 12,000 people. The Navajo and Hopi languages remain dominate and all official tribal meetings are conducted in the native language. The median age on the Navajo reservation is 24 years old and the annual average income per family is $7,500. Fossil fuel development is the primary income for both tribes and the primary source of "on- reservation" jobs for tribal members.

Black Mesa Water Coalition's work began out of a reactionary need to put an immediate end to destructive coal projects and plans. In 1967, Peabody Energy, the largest coal producing companies in the world began operations of two coal strip mines on Black Mesa in – the Kayenta & Black Mesa mines. Collectively, these mines constituted the most extensive strip mining operation in the United States. Until recently Peabody Coal Company was pumping over 4,600 acre-feet of pristine groundwater from the Navajo-Aquifer. Peabody used this sole source of drinking water simply to mix with crushed coal creating "slurry" for transportation. This "slurry transportation" system sent coal and water through a pipeline over 270 miles, from Black Mesa to Mohave Generating Station in Laughlin, Nevada. Every second 50 gallons of pristine drinking water was permanently lost. For decades Peabody Coal Company has disrupted the lives of the Hopi and Diné people, causing political separation and dispute.

The Navajo Generating Station Transition Plan

New developments are occurring that would impact the Kayenta mine, the other half of Peabody's two coalmines on Black Mesa. The Navajo Generating Station (NGS), located on the Navajo reservation near Page, AZ, is one of the largest pollution sources in the United States. This coal fired-power plant has been in operation since 1974 and is supplied by coal solely from the Kayenta mine. NGS has recently come under regulatory scrutiny. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that NGS is a "BART-eligible source". The Clean Air Act's Regional Haze Rule (RHR) contains a requirement for each State or Tribe to address the Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) requirement. Since the Navajo EPA does not have an approved Tribal Implementation Plan, the U.S. EPA is currently responsible for implementing the RHR at NGS. NGS is the major power source of the Central Arizona Project – the major water source of central and southern Arizona.

There is an opportunity at this moment in history to impact the Southwest's current development trajectory. BMWC is leading the community voice in opposing consumption as usual. BMWC is working to develop a clean renewable transition plan for NGS; a plan that takes into account local Indigenous concerns and builds equity and restitution for Navajo communities that have long carried the brunt of NGS & Peabody's operations.

In order to do develop a first-rate plan that represents Navajo communities fairly BMWC has begun coordinating a major strategy session. Through Indigenous focused outreach and education efforts BMWC aims to increase community knowledge levels and decision-making power. Further strategy meetings will be held in Navajo and/or Hopi communities in the Black Mesa region. Participants would include community members, local union leaders and local government officials. The focus of these meetings will be to develop an Indigenous community based NGS transition plan, one that incorporates a fair and just employment transition.

Black Mesa Cultural Campaign

There is a great need to continue base building and trust building on Black Mesa. The Black Mesa region spans a large land base and residents can be very distant from one another geographically. The rural landscape, along with the many interpersonal issues surrounding Navajo-Hopi relocation and the Peabody Coal mine make organizing in this area sometimes very difficult. The Black Mesa Cultural Campaign aims to bridge some of the political, geographical and social gaps in our communities. Through a fairly non-political campaign we hope to open deeper discussions between all people on Black Mesa. From Union members to medicine men and university students to sheep herders, this campaign is working to unite people around a basic shared respect for Black Mesa and her cultural significance.

For more information about the history of Black Mesa, read “The Black Mesa Syndrome: Indian Lands, Black Gold.”