Tsosie: Water project ‘quality of life’ issue

By Kathy Helms
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — Delegate Leonard Tsosie drove across the Chuska and Chaco mountain ranges last week, despite snow, to seek support from the Resources Committee for a project that would link water systems in Nageezi, Counselor, Pueblo Pintado and Whitehorse Lake.

The previous day, Tsosie and members of Emergency Management had delivered hay to Navajo families living in those chapters.

“This is about quality of life. You could see that we have Navajo children out there that have not taken a shower or washed their hair. It’s not because they are practicing bad hygiene, it’s just that they have to make a choice between water for their food and their living and water for their livestock versus taking a shower,” he said.

Those who have water and can enjoy taking showers are “privileged,” he said. “We don’t have that out there for these kids.”

Resources unanimously approved the resolution which would provide a $7 million grant from the state of New Mexico Environment Department to the Navajo Nation. The proposed legislation, sponsored by Danny Simpson and co-sponsored by Tsosie, is the second part of a project in Eastern Agency.

“Ten chapters are working on this, and this is also part of an effort of the Cutter Lateral. We’re disappointed that President George Bush has decided not to fund the San Juan regional settlement (in the FY2009 budget). But nonetheless, we have our faith that with the new change in administration, that that part of the funding will occur,” he said.

At a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing last Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman took the Bush administration to task about the lack of attention it has given to the Navajo-Gallup pipeline, a part of the settlement.

Bingaman praised Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne for his role in getting his department to release a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the pipeline project, but said he is very concerned that the administration sought no funding in either FY 2008 or 2009 to complete the analysis and finalize the EIS.

“A final EIS is needed before we can even consider constructing this long-awaited pipeline, and so far the Bush administration has dragged its feet on finalizing this important document,” he said. “We cannot wait any longer. We need the administration to step up its involvement in this project.”

Bingaman asked Kempthorne to find the estimated $260,000 needed from within DOI’s FY 2008 budget, and Kempthorne said he would work with Bingaman on the issue.

Last year, when Resources was asked to approve a grant from New Mexico, Tsosie said, it was for $5 million, as part of Gov. Bill Richardson’s “Year of Water.”

“Since we came here the last time, the project with the $5 million is under way,” he said. The $7 million grant will allow them to add on to the project and also provide some wells. The 10 communities depend on an aquifer in the Ojo Encino-Counselor area, which according to Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, is going down because it’s being depleted, Tsosie said.

“The last time, we talked about Pueblo Pintado High School that was built out there. The state was told there is very little water, even though at Pintado we have a water line there. What this will do is it will allow for a bigger water pipeline and it will allow for more water to go there into that area. It’s for socio-economic development.”

Tsosie said he and other representatives met with Gov. Richardson at the beginning of the recent legislative session and it appears they have secured more than $1 million for the project from Santa Fe.

The resolution now goes to the Transportation & Community Development and Intergovernmental Relations committees, where a waiver must be sought because the grant does not allow for indirect cost funding. Tsosie said this is because the state wants all of the money to go to the project.