December 14, 2006

RE: Black Mesa Project

Salt River Project (SRP), an Arizona power plant, is moving rapidly to start the Mohave Generating Station (visit: www.blackmesatrust.org) located in Laughlin, NV. 273 miles form Black Mesa, the sacred home of indigenous Navajo and Hoi people. Mohave uses coal from Black Mesa to fire its plant. Coal is transported via slurry pipeline using pristine water (3.2 million gallons daily) from the Navajo-aquifer.

In December 2005, Hopi and Navajo put a temporary halt to pumping. Now our water is back on Peabody Mine Plan as sole source water.

Most Hopi and Navajo elders do not speak english, yet they are expected to digest the 700+ pages of technical (EIS) document that the Office of Surface Mining has prepared for public comment. The comment period is limited to just three (3) hours. There is no way our people can make informed comments on a highly abstract study in such a short time.

Please help the members of the oldest living civilization in Northern America, who are dependent on water from the Navajo-aquifer as their sole source drinking water.

Demand that OSM postpone the comment period until Hopi and Navajo grassroots people are given sufficient time to digest the Draft EIS before they start public comments.

Sent a copy of your letter or e-mail to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. People living in Arizona should also copy Senator John McCain.

Contact Dennis Winterringer by e-mail at BMK@OSMRE.gov or call him at (303) 844-1400, ext. 1440.

Thank you.

Vernon Masayesva
Executive Director
Black Mesa Trust

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