On day three of the Navajo Nation Council Summer Session, Council Delegate Rickie Nez presented Legislation No. 0033-23, creating the San Juan River Mitigation Fund. The fund will serve as a repository for litigation and settlement funds from various Gold King Mine lawsuits, with specific criteria for fund expenditures.
According to Navajo Nation Attorney General Ethel Branch, the legislation sets aside $31 million for the San Juan River Mitigation Fund. Of this amount, $3 million is designated as restricted grant funding, and $14.5 million is allocated for legal fees and expenses. The remaining $13.5 million will be deposited into the fund once the legislation receives approval. Furthermore, ongoing settlements may potentially add another $10 million to the fund, bringing the total to approximately $41 million.
The Gold King Mine, located near Silverton, CO, experienced a catastrophic blowout on August 5, 2015, leading to the release of three million gallons of toxic acid mine wastewater into a tributary of the Animas River. This toxic flow affected approximately two hundred miles of the San Juan River, impacting several Navajo Nation chapters, including Upper Fruitland, Nenahnezad, San Juan and others.
In response to the environmental disaster, the Navajo Nation filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), its contractors, and several mining companies in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico in August 2016.
The legislation highlights the severe impact of the contamination on farmers and ranchers along the San Juan River. These individuals suffered significant financial losses as they were unable to cultivate crops, sell livestock, or utilize livestock-derived products as a source of income.
On May 4, ranchers and farmers met with Navajo Nation officials and delegates to recommend various projects for the utilization of the funds. These projects include the rehabilitation of irrigation canals, infrastructure improvements, operations and maintenance, and research on proper operations and construction of a filter station and reservoirs.
The fund’s usage is restricted to environmental technical studies, water quality monitoring activities, preventative and corrective measures to address contamination, and the implementation of a Navajo Nation EPA Communications Strategy.
Legislation 0033-23 received overwhelming support from the council, passing with a vote of 19 in favor and zero opposed. Once certified and delivered to the Office of the President and Vice President, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren will have ten calendar days to consider the resolution.
On day three of the Navajo Nation Council Summer Session, Council Delegate Rickie Nez presented Legislation No. 0033-23, creating the San Juan River Mitigation Fund. The fund will serve as a repository for litigation and settlement funds from various Gold King Mine lawsuits, with specific criteria for fund expenditures.
According to Navajo Nation Attorney General Ethel Branch, the legislation sets aside $31 million for the San Juan River Mitigation Fund. Of this amount, $3 million is designated as restricted grant funding, and $14.5 million is allocated for legal fees and expenses. The remaining $13.5 million will be deposited into the fund once the legislation receives approval. Furthermore, ongoing settlements may potentially add another $10 million to the fund, bringing the total to approximately $41 million.
The Gold King Mine, located near Silverton, CO, experienced a catastrophic blowout on August 5, 2015, leading to the release of three million gallons of toxic acid mine wastewater into a tributary of the Animas River. This toxic flow affected approximately two hundred miles of the San Juan River, impacting several Navajo Nation chapters, including Upper Fruitland, Nenahnezad, San Juan and others.
In response to the environmental disaster, the Navajo Nation filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), its contractors, and several mining companies in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico in August 2016.
The legislation highlights the severe impact of the contamination on farmers and ranchers along the San Juan River. These individuals suffered significant financial losses as they were unable to cultivate crops, sell livestock, or utilize livestock-derived products as a source of income.
On May 4, ranchers and farmers met with Navajo Nation officials and delegates to recommend various projects for the utilization of the funds. These projects include the rehabilitation of irrigation canals, infrastructure improvements, operations and maintenance, and research on proper operations and construction of a filter station and reservoirs.
The fund’s usage is restricted to environmental technical studies, water quality monitoring activities, preventative and corrective measures to address contamination, and the implementation of a Navajo Nation EPA Communications Strategy.
Legislation 0033-23 received overwhelming support from the council, passing with a vote of 19 in favor and zero opposed. Once certified and delivered to the Office of the President and Vice President, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren will have ten calendar days to consider the resolution.