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Mesa Indigenous Support
P.O.
Box 23501, Flagstaff, Arizona 86002 Message Voice Mail: 928.773.8086 Email: blackmesais@riseup.net Newsletter:blackmesais@lists.riseup.net |
By Jim Maniaci
Staff Writer Gallup Independent 12/21/04
KYKOTSMOVI — Resolving for the long term the need to find a new water source
for the Black Mesa Mine's slurry line to the Mohave Generating Station is
important, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano told the Tribal Council on Thursday.
The governor made the comments during her first official
government-to-government visit to the Hopi Reservation with about 40 people in the
council chamber, including 19 council members.
After Chairman Wayne Taylor Jr. spoke about a variety of topics important to
the tribal government, Napolitano talked briefly, agreeing with him on the
importance of the various efforts and her determination to cooperate with the
tribe.
Taylor covered many topics, admitting water is the most important.
"The Hopi and Navajo Nations are working together to negotiate the myriad of
complex legal agreements necessary to keep the Black Mesa Mine and Mohave
Generating Station operating," working with the owners, the coal mine company
and the federal government "to develop a pipeline to bring water from the
Coconino (C) Aquifer. This water would be used to replace Peabody's reliance on
the Navajo (N) Aquifer, Hopi's only source of drinking water," the chairman
said.
Need federal aid
He added he hopes Washington, D.C., will "provide the necessary funds to
expand the pipeline so it may provide additional water to fuel further economic
development on the Hopi and Navajo reservations." Peabody has said it wants
6,000 acre-feet a year for its two mines and the pipeline. The two tribes say
they need another 5,600 acre-feet a year on top of that for their villages
and chapters.
Taylor then pointed out that the state receives about $15 million a year in
taxes from the mine and pipeline. Black Mesa's royalties alone to the Hopi
treasury amounts to about $7.7 million a year for coal and water, a Taylor
assistant told the Independent. The chairman said, "Attempts by the tribe to tax
Peabody Energy would amount to dual taxation."
The chairman also hopes the state, the tribe, the U.S. and municipalities
can work together to build a pipeline from Lake Powell to Hopi. Hopi recently
bought 6,000 acre-feet of main stream Colorado River water rights in the
Cibola Basin in southern La Paz County. A pipeline from Lake Powell would be
shorter and cheaper than one from southwestern Arizona to the Hopi lands, so some
sort of an exchange would be needed.
An acre-foot is 325,851 gallons, enough to cover an acre with one foot of
water.
In response, Napolitano said, "Let me just reiterate how pleased I'm to be
here with you today and to be with the council to be discussing the issues
that are important to the continuation of the Hopi way and the continuation of
the health of the state of Arizona, as well."
Gov's philosophy
Her general philosophy is the state will work closely with the tribe, for
instance, to convert some 145,000 acres (around 226 square-miles) of formerly
private ranches south of Interstate 40 to federal trust land. She said it is
important, and she is pleased to hear, of the Hopi push to expand renewable
energy sources such as solar and wind power.
Taylor said the tribe wants the Arizona Corporation Commission to force the
utilities to have one-tenth of their electric power come from the
non-depletable resources.
However, "Perhaps the most acute issues up here," Napolitano said, "are the
water issues involving the N Aquifer and the C Aquifer," referring to letters
she wrote at Taylor's request when he was at the capital in Phoenix. "We
will continue with that cooperation and those efforts because it is very, very
important we resolve in the long term the waters situation in this part of our
state," she continued.
The governor said, "Please know that we are very committed to that. That
also includes the pipeline project being studied now. The Mohave Generating
Station, you are absolutely correct, it is a big part of the economy of Northern
Arizona. I believe the calendar year 2005 is a critical year in terms of the
continued operation of that station." She added that she ordered her staff to
work directly with the tribe "to have a successful outcome."
"I also believe that the production and transmission of energy, particularly
from renewable sources, is a viable economic opportunity for the Hopi
Tribe," she said.
Napolitano also was pleased to hear of Taylor's desire to build a new tribal
capital in the northern section of the reservation. Taylor mentioned a
potential industrial park as the last leg of the new capital although he didn't
call it the future capital of Tawaovi, about 15 miles north of Second Mesa, on
the road to the Hard Rock Chapter on the Navajo Reservation. Tawaovi would
include government office buildings and new housing.
But economic development, she said, requires a good education.
Committee chairs then told the governor of the desires of their teams. They
included Cedric Kuwaninvaya (Shipaulovi Village) who spoke on energy, King
Honani Sr. (Shipaulovi) who gave a general thank you, Deanna Etnire
(Kykotsmovi) who also spoke on energy and why previous governors weren't as
cooperative.
Robert Sakiestewa Jr. (Moencopi) spoke on health and medical care, and
Phillip R. Quochytewa Sr. (Kykotsmovi) spoke on veterans needs. Marjorie
Talayumptewa (Kykotsmovi) spoke on homeland security.
Taylor gave the governor a necklace with a pendant, and she left for Hopi
Day School in Kykotsmovi. She later toured some of the villages before flying
back to Phoenix from Polacca.
_http://gallupindependent.com/122104gov.html_
(http://gallupindependent.com/122104gov.html)