Take Action to Keep the Coal in Mother Earth

Navajo Nation Government, Please Do Not Sign the Re-Lease of Navajo Lands for Coal Mining

Greetings,

Navajo Nation Government

President Ben Shelley
Vice President Rex Lee Jim
Post Office Box 7440
Window Rock, Navajo Nation, Arizona 86515

Dear President Shelley and Vice President Rex Lee Jim,

In 2016, both the Four Corners power plant and coal leases on the Navajo Nation’s land will expire and the power plant will be shut down if the leases are not renewed by May 2, 2011. Please do not renew the lease. We ask you to commit to phasing out coal-fired power and instead, invest in both energy efficiency and safe, secure and clean renewable energy sources, creating myriad green jobs in the process.

Respected Navajo spiritual leaders, Elders, and community members shared their stories and messages regarding their struggle for water rights, religious freedom, the health of their communities, and the importance of living on a healthy planet with visitors from around the world this past November. Their guests are part of a long-standing support network comprised of individuals and organizations that works with the traditional Elders and their families who are resisting forced relocation due to coal mining on the “Hopi Partitioned Lands” of Big Mountain and surrounding communities of Black Mesa.

Dooda Desert Rock resident Elouise Brown recently stated that "Burning less coal at Four Corners is a great start towards protecting both people's and Mother Earth's health, but this won't make the current sickness go away. We would feel better if we made more jobs in transitioning the other units off of coal and towards a cleaner energy from renewable like wind and solar."

Black Mesa Indigenous Support, along with other grass-roots organizations and non-governmental organizations request you to sign this petition in support of the Elders and their families of the Navajo Nation urging you to:

1. Do not re-lease the land for coal mining.
2. Do not extend the Four Corners Power Plant Lease and the Navajo Generating Station in Page.
3. Keep the coal in Mother Earth.


Pressed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce emissions, Arizona’s leading producer of electric power, Arizona Public Service Company (APS) proposes to close the three oldest generating units and buy out Southern California Edison's ownership in two other units of the plant. In order to make up for the loss of three generating units, APS’s Vice President of Fossil Operations, David Hansen has requested that federal agencies, state commissions, and the coal and power plants of the Navajo Nation re-lease the land to continue to provide Phoenix and Los Angeles’ energy demands.

These leases for coal extraction on Navajo and Hopi land’s are unacceptable, as these operations have already contributed to the forced relocation of over 13,000 thousand Indigenous peoples, an enormous, incalculable amount of climate pollution, plus contaminated the local water tables, impacted the health of local communities, and the land itself.

Say no with the Elders and their families of Black Mesa. Do not re-lease this land. Do not extend the Four Corners Power Plant lease. Coal is dirty and will never be clean. The state of California is reducing its stake in coal-fired electric generation, let’s join them. Support a just transition to renewable energy resources!

We have written this letter to you in support of the traditional communities of the Four Corners area and for the health of their communities and Mother Earth.

We thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,

Black Mesa Indigenous Support: Dixie Block, Hallie Boas, Berkley Carnine, Liza Minno Bloom, Derek Minno Bloom & Tree Coldwater

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