Power plant has residents fired up
Burnham Chapter members say company is ignoring complaints

By Brian Hassler
Staff Writer

DOODA — It wasn't just the fact that a power plant was being placed in their area without their consent that has angered members of the Burnham Chapter.

What really has bothered the community in the Burnham Chapter is that neither Sithe Global, LLC., nor the leadership of the Navajo Nation has been willing to act on the complaints registered by community members.

"They (Sithe Global) don't talk to us directly," said Sarah Jane White, President of the Dooda Desert Rock Committee. "They deal with the Navajo Nation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, but not us. They just don't listen to us."

White added that while the Navajo Nation does listen to their concerns, the results have been the same.

"They listen to us, but they don't do what we tell them to," she said. "With the BIA we sent comments, we asked them for a scoping and they came up and said that there would be scoping done."

The frustrations of White, Anna Marie Frazier and others in the area caused them to release a letter condemning plans by Sithe Global and tribal leaders for pushing forward with plans for the power plant despite opposition from community members.

"Although overwhelmingly rejected by the Burnham Chapter on Feb. 13, Din Power Authority now says that it will work around the communities opposition and still build the unwanted power plant," said the groups letter. "This unilateral and arrogant action by a central tribal government agency is not only a violation of the spirit and intent of the Local Governance Act, but undermines the very integrity of the community land use planning and chapter certification processes."

Among other complaints, the group points to the fact that Sithe Global now claims that the site of the power plant won't be in the chapter boundaries even though tribal and corporate representatives have approached the group to gain approval from chapter leaders.

"The community doesn't want it," said White. "The people don't want it, the people in Farmington, Shiprock and other parts of San Juan County don't want it. We don't want another plant because the one that is already on the reservation is polluting really bad."

In addition to complaints about pollution, the chapter's letter pointed to questions concerning councilman George Arthur.

"We are curious as to how Councilman George Arthur can ethically represent the Burnham Chapter in light of its overwhelming vote against the Desert Rock Energy Project and still sit on and chair the resources committee," the group's letter states.

White added that the group is still largely concerned over the safety of the plants that are already in the area and feels that an additional plant will increase the amounts of problems that they feel have surfaced.

"Don't put another plant in the area so that we will have two to work on," she said. "There is already one plant that needs to be cleaned up, the air needs to be cleaned up. They need to dish out some money and to clean that one up first before they do anything else."

— Brian Hassler is The Independent's Four Corners reporter based in Shiprock. He can be reached at (505) 360-7862 or via email at brainhassler@hotmail.com.