Former supervisor Percy Deal shared information regarding the Peabody coal mine located near Black Mesa with the Navajo County Board of Supervisors last week as he outlined the ill effects of the operation on the Navajo Nation.
In 1969, Peabody Western Coal signed leases with the Navajo and Hopi tribes that would allow the energy company to mine coal on reservation lands, as well as rights to the resources therein. In February of this year, the owners of the mine voted to close operations in 2019, a full 25 years ahead of schedule.
The discussion surrounding the closure has largely been focused on the jobs and revenues that will be lost in the areas that depend on the mine. Approximately 800 people are directly and indirectly employed by Peabody in Arizona and the efforts needed to process and transport coal. It is understood that if the mine is not purchased by another entity, production will cease.
According to District I Supervisor Lee Jack, the Navajo Nation is, “looking at different options, and listening to both sides,” of the issue, acknowledging viewpoints from those who would like to see the mine continue and those who see it as an antiquated energy source and recognize the environmental impact coal mining presents.
Deal was joined by retired nurse and public health advocate Della Begay, who explained some of the impact mining has had on the health of the Navajo and Hopi peoples. She said that the nearly 80 chemicals released by the burning of coal have been proven to lead to cancers, cardiac complications, birth defects and more. These chemicals include selenium and chromium, which, in high quantities, are suspected of contributing to neurological defects in children.
She stated that the long term effects are beginning to surface as the 50-year history of the mine has brought forth increased risk of stroke, pulmonary disorders and kidney disease. Begay noted that these are effects she’s witnessed over her 30-year career in nursing, but that there has been no formal study done on the effects of the mine and power plant.
Deal explained that the processing of coal also presents health concerns, as the chemicals are seeped into the groundwater causing the Navajo Aquifer (N-Aquifer) to be compromised. Approximately two million acre-feet of water from the N-Aquifer is dedicated to coal production, as written in the lease agreement.
“It’s a human right that I have enough clean water for 50 years, 100 years, forever,” Deal told the board, adding that plants and animals have suffered as a result of contamination and habitat changes. “Eventually we began to notice changes to the land as the water was used up, like our natural springs producing less and less. Our plants and herbs that we depended on for food and medicinal and ceremonial purposes were disappearing.”
According to Deal, “The mining and pollution from the smokestacks at the power plant also affected our livestock and wildlife, elk, deer, antelope and turkey.”
The Peabody mine provides fuel for Navajo Generating Station near Page and Cholla Power Plant at Joseph City, among others in Arizona and New Mexico. These generating stations are set to close their own doors beginning in 2019 and culminating in 2025.
The tribal councils are expected to have discussions on whether they will support the decommissioning of Peabody Mine at the end of the lease term, or encourage and seek out new ownership.
Deal concluded with, “The sooner the expiration, the better.”
