Red Valley residents say oil company is polluting land, people, animals

On April 15, two dams holding back oil up in Chuska broke loose from the snow pack. The oily water ran high for three days. The oil spill took out a school bus route when it washed away the road. (Courtesy Photo)

By Brian Hassler
Staff Writer

RED VALLEY, Ariz. — The last decade hasn't been an easy one for Tommy Nakai and the residents of Red Valley Chapter.

Annual oil spills have led to contamination in the water and the ground and have caused crops to be destroyed, animals to die and family members to suffer with various illnesses associated with the oil spills.

"A lot of my relatives are having health problems," said Nakai. "I think it's from the oil getting into the water, from the particles of the oil floating in the water. I have an aunt that has breast cancer now because every summer the water is contaminated and they get sick."

The problems with oil spills began more than 10 years ago when Kerr-McGee Oil Industries, Inc., turned over production from the 18 available wells in the area to Mountain States Petroleum Company.

"Before, when Kerr-McGee was in charge, things were fine," said Anna Frasier. "But since Mountain States took over, we've had spills every year and they don't do anything to stop it."

Those spills have worsened as time has gone by and have increased in size as the number of pumps still in use, nine, caused Mountain States to pump saline into the wells no longer in use.

In 2004, the amount of oil that spilled into the water runoff was equal to 25 barrels of oil, with each barrel containing 50 gallons. While in 2003 there was a spill that contaminated the soil for more than 20 farmers from the foot of Lukachukai Mountain down to the Red Valley Chapter area.

But the spills have come within the past weeks as on Thursday, April 14, when a break in a pipe caused 80 barrels worth of oil to mix with the water runoff that runs through 12 farms and doesn't stop in Red Valley Chapter.

"The water that runs down through the spring in the runoff goes through Red Valley, then through Oak Springs and eventually ends up in the San Juan River," said Frasier. "In all there's been 12 head of cattle that have been killed because of this and it has ruined the fields for growing crops."

Problems with Mountain States have moved the Red Valley Chapter to introduce a resolution that will be presented at its May 15 chapter meeting.

Calling for the Navajo Nation and Mountain States Petroleum Company to cancel the oil and gas lease agreements within the Red Valley Chapter boundaries, the chapter is also requesting for Mountain States to clean up the area that has been contaminated by the oil leaks.

"The Red Valley Chapter community requests that the Navajo Nation and their departments and Bureau of Indian Affairs join forces to immediately address the environmental devastation their community members have been exposed to for years and that the efforts to meet the aforementioned goals be a priority by all involved until such time that the issue is resolved," states the resolution.

Members of the Red Valley Chapter did contact members of the Tribal Environmental Protection Agency, but the muddy conditions caused by the oil spills didn't allow the EPA to thoroughly investigate the spills.

"When the spills happened, we called the EPA," said Lori Goodman. "Getting a response was like pulling teeth and by the time they came out, on Monday, it had seeped into the ground. This isn't the first time this has happened and there are many families that can no longer farm."

Goodman added that the pipes for the oil, which are to be at least four feet under the ground, are exposed and are driven over constantly by passing vehicles.

In addition to demands for cleanup efforts by Mountain States Petroleum, the Red Valley resolution points to the fact that the chapter is authorized and sanctioned by the Navajo Nation to make decisions concerning such drilling choices due to the Local Governance Act.

The proposed resolution also adds that residents are forced to haul water in from different sources due to contaminated water and that the odors from the wells have caused residents to deal with illnesses that have hurt both themselves and their animals.

"Mountain States is ignoring what the people want for almost 10 years now," said Nakai. "We've contacted the EPA, Mountain States and everyone else and it seems like they are just ignoring it and want the problem to go away."

Red Valley Chapter members will discuss the resolution on May 15. Calls to Mountain States Petroleum Company were not returned.

— Brian Hassler is The Independent's Four Corners reporter based in Shiprock. Contact him at (505) 360-7862 or via email at brianhassler@hotmail.com.