EPA Offers No Apology for Toxic River Spill: Ask Navajo Citizens to Sign Their Future Rights Away
Animas River waters merged into San Juan River on Sunday
OLJATO, UTAH — Two community involvement representatives from EPA Region 9, David Yogie and Secody Hubbard, provided an update on the toxic spill of the Animas River that made its way into the San Juan River to Navajo citizens on Monday in Oljato, Utah.
“The EPA is taking this very seriously and it’s working to control this, first and foremost,” Yogie said.
He said two EPA contractors have been sampling the water along the San Juan River with representatives from the Navajo EPA Surface Mining Program.
Four additional contractors were dispatched to support two teams doing sampling at the river. There are also 12 on-scene coordinators, two public information officers, two community health coordinators and 21 employees and contractors from Denver responding to the spill.
No Apologies
Former Navajo Natioin President Dr. Peterson Zah
At the Oljato meeting at the Monument Valley Visitors Center, former Navajo Nation President Peterson Zah gave some background on the resiliency of the Navajo people, from the Long Walk to the uranium contamination to the disaster of the San Juan River contamination.
“Many years from now, the Navajo people will still be here on our tribal lands,” Dr. Zah said in Navajo. “They keep trying to get rid of us, but we’re still here surving.”
Turning to Yogie, the senior EPA official that reported, Dr. Zah said he was no different than all the other Navajo elders in attendance.
“What I was looking for (from the EPA) was an apology. We didn’t even get one. I wanted to hear from the U.S. government that they were sorry,” Dr. Zah said. “Maybe you should include that in the first part of your presentation at your next meeting.”
EPA Waivers against Future Claims
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is offering immediate reimbursements for damages from the Gold King Mine water contamination in exchange for waiving rights for future claims.
On August 11, the Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President received report that EPA representatives were in the Utah communities of Aneth and Oljato to encourage Navajo people to agree to the reimbursements.
Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye said, “The Navajo people need to know that they should not file for reimbursement until the injuries and costs related to the contamination have stopped.”
For individuals who sign the claim, they will not be eligible for claims in the future, if additional injuries or damages arise from the long-term effects of contamination.
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ThOrougly disgusted its dispicable. Please fight this. Blessings to you
Natives in Canada have MULTIPLE CANCERS from contaminated water. Do not let them do this again protect yourselves.
Stand up for what is right. It’s up to all of us to hold EPA accountable and stop this poisoning!
Why expect an apology from an entity that is out to exterminate you. Has the U.S. Government apologized for the Long Walk, The Trail of Tears, the mass slaughter of the buffalo and other atrocities committed against the First Americans? We were given Divine victory over the U.S. Military at the Little Big Horn period. That victory will never be taken away as it is frozen in the history of time. What will an apology accomplish anyway; what is done is done. Make way for lawsuits and see if there is any money left.
I have written my CONgressmen in regards to this terrorism act by employees of the EPA. These people that ordered and let this happen should be tried and convicted. They work for a government agency that is to protect our water land and air. What they did is in my book an act of premeditated terrorism. They knew what they were doing they just did not think it would be so bad. Excuse me with an attitude like that I as a tax payer paying their salary fire each and everyone involved and make a citizens complaint of terroriam against them.
Don’t let the government get away with this…. ‘future issues’ could turn up decades from now in the form of cancers and birth defects…. please take care … praying for you
Sneaky, scheming, and shameful!
I find it offensive and deplorable that on one hand they flat out refuse to offer an apology to the Navajo people for poisoning their drinking water. On the other hand they stand with pen in hand almost encouraging Navajo citizens to sign away their future rights to any further damages to their health; the health of their children and their elders, simply to receive a few dollars….most likely years from now at the same time when they develop cancers and other diseases from this toxic spill.
I can only pray and hope the Navajo leaders will come out swinging and swinging hard at the EPA, the Government and even President Obama for attempting to treat us First Americans as though we are some sort of wild animal too naive to know what this spill means to the lives.
This spill can and will have SO many detrimental effects to their health that mere dollars today will not even begin to compensate them for failed health and even death at the hands of a sloppy and irresponsible Governmental agency who almost seemed to cause this spill on purpose just to gain the rights to this land so they might turn it over to yet another foreign country so THEY might gain and gain tremendously financially while the First Americans….our brothers and sisters get gravely ill and die long, slow and painful deaths while the foreign governments rape them and all future generations of future Navajo citizens.
Stop this deplorable action TODAY by turning the other cheek and walking swiftly away from this ridiculous offer of assistance NOW. Do NOT allow them to do to you what they have done to the First Americans of the Plains. We support your decision to not take this sneaky, greedy offer from the EPA. This is nothing to even consider. Just because money is the white mans God and land is their heaven, it doesn’t mean that this is how we Native Americans operate our lives and values.
Do what is right….get back on your lands today and hire the best Lawyers your tribe can find. You will need it in the VERY NEAR FUTURE to stop the white man from pushing you off your own lands. This smells like a Republican venture and they will continue to try to fool you as they have done to us since the beginning of time.
Get lawyered up now…you will need it soon as these greedy vultures are a circling around your homes as you read this article.
DO NOT DO IT.
EPA let toxins into stream to ruin pristine nature of land their buddies want to mine. One cannot argue against mining/drilling/etc due to pristine land now! So they release toxins, wait a few days then make an insane offer. I commented days ago this was the reason. EPA officials, fda, etc., mostly former employees of oil companies, pharmaceuticals, mining companies, and these people are not poor. Many of these officials PROTECTING our interests have investments in companies they are supposed to protect us from. CORRUPT FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. SO RELEASE TOXIC SLUDGE AND INDIANS LOOSE THEIR BEST ARGUMENT. If this sounds far fetched, name a treaty u.s. ever kept their word on!
Hi Elo, please do not insult vultures by comparing them to swine. Buzzard good friend to all. cleaning up so we don’t get sick. My wife and I were married in a medicine wheel in Sedona. We hold sacred all that you do. THe indigenous nations of North america have health problems we can help with, help all can get, money not a thing. We are wholistic therapists and educators under the sign of the raven. We white on skin, red in heart in service of all life. On behalf of everyone who should have said so, thanks for allowing our ancestors to stay in your land. BTW Greylock is one of my personal heros! love and light, mongo
Shameful. I hope the Navajo people sue. Do not accept payment or sign away your rights for future reimbursement for any possible damages or health issues that may occur later.
I pray for your people and mine.
Do not agree to this. Make them pay you without signing!
I am sad by what took place toward the Navajo,Hopi,Ute,and anyone having to deal with this careless accident, and I`v said before the E P A, has got to own up and get provisions to the people effected by this toxic spill! The Navajo Hopi,Ute and people along the river need to get some samples to U.C.L.A., Stanford, Arizona State, Oregon State, and perhaps a few more and get the water tested and see what the young folks say is in the water, and how bad it is. Our youth will have to be the ones to live/deal with the damages done by the mindless mining company`s, I say, let them do the testing!
7606930086 I want to know how I can help. My Grandmother was Cherokee but I feel as though we are one. I get so angry I cry and want to explode. I need to find out what we can do? I am so frustrated. We need to be able to contact the President especially when issue like those that are on a time limit concerning the Land being traded to the Foreign Mining company that Contributed to McCain’s campaign. and Flake worked for as a lobbyist. that is conflict of intrest. please tell me what I can do. I have no money but I am willing to do anything you need me to. I don’t know how you keep your cool without exploding. We cannot let them get by with what they are doing to our brothers.
LET IT BE KNOWN as of December 1, 2014, under the court decision of August 25, 2014 that convicted the United States Corporation and their officers of fraud, extortion, human trafficking, involuntary servitude, murder, high treason, and crimes against humanity, all corporate governmental, judicial and enforcement powers and authority are revoked and nullified and all such personnel are hereby ordered to immediately STAND DOWN.
Any further corporate governmental intervention into any matter regarding any activity in any of the several states related to the Respublica of Earth, United States of America is now considered a Breach of the Peace.
LET IT BE FURTHER KNOWN that anyone disregarding this ORDER is considered personally liable for acts leading criminality against the People and faces immediate arrest and detainment by the Court of Ages, Earth District Natural Law Peace Officers deputized by the Court which includes all militia and National Guard.
http://www.courtofages.com/usa-orders.html
http://www.courtofages.com/intl-orders.html
http://www.courtofages.com/documents.html
http://www2.epa.gov/goldkingmine/claims-process-and-standard-form-95-damage-injury-or-death-result-gold-king-mine
God bless you Kat for this information. Yes, this is the way to go, make certain this Form 95 is stamped at your local BIA Agency when you get this form at this agency.