PETITION TO THE NAVAJO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

Subject: Immediate Moratorium on All Utility-Scale Renewable Energy Projects, Rescission of Resolutions 1-2025 and 17-2025, Severance of All Ties with the Dissolved REAL AZ Entity, and Requirement of Independent Studies, 2-Mile Setbacks, and Power Purchase Agreements
• We, the undersigned citizens, taxpayers, and registered voters of Navajo County, Arizona, respectfully petition the Navajo County Board of Supervisors to take immediate action to protect our groundwater resources, rural way of life, and the integrity of county government.
 

 Factual Background
• REAL AZ Economic Development Group, Inc. (ACC Entity ID 23370947) was voluntarily dissolved on October 17, 2024. Under A.R.S. §§ 10-3804 and 10-3805, a dissolved nonprofit corporation may only wind up its affairs and may not continue to operate, solicit funds, recruit members, or conduct business activities. Despite this, the entity continues to function informally as Navajo County’s de facto economic development office, using county staff (including Executive Director Chris Pasterz and Coal Community Development Manager Jack Callahan, whose payroll appears in county general ledger records), county facilities, the county seal, and public resources.
• Alleged Violations and Appearance of Impropriety
• This continued operation raises serious legal and ethical concerns:
• •    A.R.S. §§ 10-3804 and 10-3805 – Prohibits a dissolved nonprofit from continuing operations.
• •    A.R.S. § 38-503 – Prohibits public officers from participating in decisions in which they or their associates have a substantial interest (Supervisor Jason Whiting serves on the Board of Supervisors while simultaneously acting as a director of the dissolved REAL AZ).
• •    Appearance of “Pay-to-Play” – 96.7% of all business donations to REAL AZ ($741,185 of $766,185 total) came from companies directly tied to the very renewable projects now being approved. This includes $24,750 from entities linked to West Camp Wind Farm II (SRP and Ace/AES). These donations create a clear appearance of impropriety and undue influence over county ordinance changes and project approvals.
• The Board previously adopted Resolutions 1-2025 (Comprehensive Plan update prioritizing renewables) and 17-2025 (Zoning Ordinance rewrite weakening protections), with every single 2026 Planning & Zoning Commission meeting cancelled — depriving citizens of meaningful public input.
• Specific Concerns Regarding Utility-Scale Wind Turbines
• Projects such as West Camp Wind Farm II (500 MW, 144+ turbines) and others in the pipeline will:
• •    Consume millions of gallons of water for concrete foundations and require ongoing water for dust suppression on miles of new roads — in perpetuity — in an arid region already experiencing declining springs and aquifer stress.
• •    Provide no independent water-use study, baseline soil testing, or groundwater impact analysis.
• •    Benefit from an 80% property tax reduction under A.R.S. § 42-14155(B), meaning the county receives almost no long-term revenue while bearing the environmental and infrastructure costs.
• •    Irreversibly alter rural landscapes, property values, wildlife habitat, and quality of life.

We Therefore Petition the Navajo County Board to:

1.  Immediately impose a moratorium on all new utility-scale wind, solar, and battery energy storage approvals until the issues below are fully addressed.

2.  Rescind Resolutions 1-2025 and 17-2025 in their entirety and restore prior citizen protections.

3.  Sever all county ties with the dissolved REAL AZ entity, cease use of county staff/facilities/resources, and direct an independent investigation into payroll, donor influence, and post-dissolution activities.

4.  Require, for any future renewable project:
• 2-mile setbacks from residences, springs, and wells;
• A signed Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) proving the power will be purchased by a major utility;
• Independent, third-party water-use and groundwater studies;
• Baseline soil and water testing with full public disclosure;
• Full decommissioning bonding by the parent company and not a domestic shell as well as site restoration guarantees.
4.5 All required independent studies (water-use, groundwater impact, baseline soil, geological, and environmental) shall be conducted with full transparency and public access. All raw and processed data shall be made publicly available at no cost in FAIR-compliant formats through a county-hosted repository or an NSF-approved public repository within 12 months of collection, with persistent DOIs assigned. This ensures citizens can independently verify the impacts of these projects on our water, land, and communities.

5.  Place this petition on the agenda of the next regularly scheduled Board meeting for public hearing and vote.