August 13, 2015
US poisons Navajo river water in scorched earth campaign
By Brenda Norrell
The United States has poisoned the Four Corners river water, and immediately began a dirty tricks campaign, attempting to have Navajos sign 'waivers of liability.'
When the power plants first poisoned the air, water and land of the Four Corners region, the United States declared the Four Corners region -- including this area of the Navajo Nation -- is a "sacrifice zone."
This is because the electricity produced here is for distant US cities. Power plants, and the dirty coal mining it depends on, use lots of water.
Now, with the poisoning of the Animas River by the US EPA, with water from the Gold King mine -- whether it was intentional or accidental by the US -- the US has once again carried out a scorched earth campaign.
The US EPA has poisoned the water of those with the least financial resources to recover and survive: Navajos and farmers in the Four Corners region who depend on this river for water, livestock and crops. The US EPA admits it is responsible for this spill.
At the same time, the US and Arizona Congressmen have been using every trick possible to get Navajo area river water for power plant use, including trying to secretly steal it, as was revealed in attempts to steal the nearby Colorado River water by the US Interior and Arizona Congressmen for the Navajo Generating Station at nearby Page, Arizona.
Now the US has poisoned the river water in the Four Corners region.
Not only has the US poisoned the Animas River water in this area of New Mexico and Colorado, but the US EPA immediately began a dirty tricks campaign, attempting to get Navajos to sign waivers of liability to release the US from financial liability, to prevent Navajos and others from recovering.
Already, the US has presented these forms to Navajos in Shiprock, N.M., and Aneth and Oljato in Utah, along the San Juan River, which is being poisoned from the heavy metals in the Animas River spill. These are remote areas where many Navajo elders still speak Dine' (Navajo.)
Navajo President Russell Begaye has warned the people not to sign these waivers of liability in this latest attempt by the US to continue genocide against Native Americans and America's poor.
Navajo President Russell Begaye said, "The U.S. EPA has been seeking signatures from the Navajo People on Standard Form No. 95 which, if signed, will waive future claims against the U.S. EPA.
"The Federal Government is asking our People to waive their future rights because they know without the waiver they will be paying millions to our People. This is simple; the Feds are protecting themselves at the expense of the Navajo people and it is outrageous," President Begaye said.
See President Begaye's statement and warning, with French and Dutch translations provided at Censored News
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2015/08/us-epa-tells-navajo-people-to-waive.html
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2015/08/us-epa-tells-navajo-people-to-waive.html
Wikipedia: A scorched earth policy is a military strategy that involves destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy while advancing through or withdrawing from an area. It is a military strategy where all of the assets that are used or can be used by the enemy are targeted, such as food sources, transportation, communications, industrial resources, and even the people in the area. The practice can be carried out by the military in enemy territory, or in its own home territory. It may overlap with, but is not the same as, punitive destruction of the enemy's resources, which is done for purely strategic/political reasons rather than strategic/operational reasons.
For permission to republish this article: brendanorrell@gmail.com
Dine' CARE calls for remediation of historic mine sites
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| Animas River with toxic spill from Gold King mine |
Diné C.A.R.E. Calls for Remediation of Historic Mine Sites
By Dine' CAREContacts:
Colleen Cooley
Carol Davis
FARMINGTON, NM --Diné Citizens Against Ruining our Environment (Diné C.A.R.E.) applauds the Colorado and New Mexico Delegations for urging the federal government and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to release plans for the cleanup and mitigation of the Gold King Mine incident, and long-term remediation of historic mining sites. On August 11th and 12th, the Delegations sent letters to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and President Obama expressing concern that the Gold King Mine is still leaking contaminated water and sediment into the Animas River.
“We are concerned by the ongoing pollution and threat posed by historic mining sites in the upper Animas watershed that have never been adequately remediated,” says Carol Davis, Diné C.A.R.E. Coordinator. “We echo the Colorado and New Mexico Delegations in asking for federal support for the reclamation of these ongoing sources of pollution.”
The Gold King Mine’s toxic release has flowed into the Animas and San Juan Rivers, impacting many communities in Southern Colorado, Northern New Mexico, and Southeastern Utah, including the Navajo Nation. Farmers, livestock, and many residents who live along the San Juan River have been heavily impacted by this toxic mine spill. Residents have been warned not to utilize the river for any domestic or livestock purposes. Pumping and irrigation pumps have been shut off, and there are still many unknowns to this devastating spill. Fortunately, some Diné communities including the Shiprock community are coming together to assist with delivering water and supplies for those in need, but more support is needed from the federal government.
“This tragedy underscores the danger posed to our communities when mining companies continue to walk away from mining operations without proper reclamation and remediation,” says Colleen Cooley of Diné C.A.R.E. “All the mining companies that are currently operating and who have a stake in these abandoned mines should pay their fair share of cleanup costs.”
A copy of the letter to President Obama from the Colorado and New Mexico Delegations is available here, and the letter to the EPA is available here.
About Diné C.A.R.E.
Diné CARE is located on the Navajo Nation and is a non-profit organization that works with many Navajo communities affected by energy and environmental issues. Since the late 1980s, community people have stood up and demanded for environmental protection and sustainable development practices, bringing systemic changes in tribal politics and making the grassroots voices evident in the realm of energy development.
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