Shirley
talks to resisters
Sithe presents drill permits
WINDOW ROCK — Navajo Nation President
Joe Shirley Jr. visited Monday with visitors blockading
access to the proposed Desert Rock Energy Facility in
Nenahnezad Chapter and listened to their concerns.
Sithe Global Power LLC's Nathan Plagens,
director of project development for the 1,500 megawatt
coal-fired plant, said Monday evening that Sithe submitted
copies of its permits to one of the resister groups
per their request.
Sarah White, president of Dooda Desert
Rock, said though President Shirley paid them a visit,
his words were pretty much the same as on previous occasions
and little, if anything, was accomplished.
The meeting ended as the sun began to
disappear below the horizon. Sithe and others were told
that, based on custom, it is not proper to discuss such
matters after dark. Though they decided to meet again
to continue the discussion, neither a date nor time
were set.
Plagens submitted a permit from Navajo
Department of Water Resources, Water Code Administration
in Fort Defiance, showing that a water use permit, valid
for monitoring well purposes only, was issued Oct. 11
to Desert Rock Energy Co. LLC.
The permit expires Oct. 11, 2007. Less
than 50,000 gallons of water to be used for samples
are expected to be withdrawn from the monitoring well
to be located in Chaco Watershed.
Desert Rock Energy Co. agreed
to pay $2.70 per 1,000 gallons. This will be invoiced
based on truck tickets, transportation invoices, and
meter readings, which will be submitted to the Water
Code Administration each month.
More wells
The company agreed to obtain a
water use permit for each place water is withdrawn and
to notify the administration of any subcontractors it
hires to haul water.
In the case of a tribal well, no more
than two-thirds of the water in the water tank will
be withdrawn. The water level must be allowed to return
to the original level before further water can be removed.
Documents from Sithe include a water
well drilling permit for Layne-Western of Aurora, Colo.
The company proposed to start drilling Oct. 15 and be
finished by Feb. 28, 2007.
The monitoring well is to be sunk into
the earth at a depth of 6,000 feet and produce around
250 gallons per minute.
The company also received approval Oct.
11 for a test well to determine further test well development
and a pump lot. Desert Rock was given permission in
that permit, which also ends a year from Oct. 11, to
use up to 500 gallons per minute.
Diversion of the water was expected
to begin Oct. 15, with 6.48 million gallons anticipated
to be pulled via a submersible pump. This water also
is being sold at $2.70 per 1,000 gallons.
In an Aug. 11 letter to Allen Downer
of the Navajo Historic Preservation Department, URS
Corp., which reviewed the documents for the Bureau of
Indian Affairs, found there would be no adverse effect
on historical properties eligible for the National Register
related to the geotech investigation and well drilling.
Same team?
URS, a leading U.S. federal government
contractor, also was used to review and provide documents
for the Black Mesa Project Draft Environmental Impact
Statement. URS also was chosen by the San Antonio Water
System to provide design work for the Carrizo Aquifer
Storage and Recovery project in Texas, and in November
2003, received three financial assistance awards by
U.S. Department of Energy to develop and demonstrate
mercury control technologies for coal-fired electric
power plants.
In September 2001, KPMG and URS completed
an independent review of Texaco's greenhouse gas emission
inventories. KPMG is the audit firm used by the Navajo
Nation.
According to Sithe's permits, the geotechnical
investigation involves drilling 62 bore holes at the
proposed power plant site, about 200 to 300 feet deep.
Cultural sites
A Navajo Nation Archaeology Department
identified 34 sites within the proposed power plant
area, nine of which are eligible for the National Register.
Six of the sites are within 330 feet of the proposed
bore hole locations.
A 1970s Coal Gasification Project survey
covered the access road through the BHP Navajo Coal
Co. mine lease area in Area IV North. The Division of
Conservation Archaeology recently re-evaluated the sites
in that area and identified two sites along the proposed
access road.
One site has both Archaic and Anasazi
Pueblo ruins while another, circa-1900 to 1940, is believed
to contain three possible burials. Also identified were
a traditional Navajo nil'iz (offering area), cultural
resources and two other burial sites, however, those
were deemed far enough away not to be threatened by
use or grading of the access road.
Sithe plans to drill both a test well
and a monitoring well to gauge impact to neighboring
wells from pumping of the Morrison Formation aquifer
for the plant.
The wells would be about 100 to 200
feet apart within the proposed transmission line corridor
east of the Chaco River and west of BHP Billiton's Navajo
Mine lease area. An archaeological survey has been completed
for a 500-foot-wide transmission line corridor where
the wells would be drilled.
The wells would be accessed from a public
road through the mine lease areas to Red Mesa Valley.
Two archaeological sites, including an Anasazi field
house dated between A.D. 950 and 1125, are known to
exist.
On Aug. 23, URS notified Historic Preservation's
Downer that Sithe was proposing to drill one additional
test well and an additional monitoring well.
Navajo Nation Fish & Wildlife issued
conditional approval and mitigation measures for drilling
on Sept. 12 following a request by the Bureau of Indian
Affairs for threatened and endangered species clearance.
The proposed area was found to be a
potential habitat for the Golden eagle, Ferruginous
hawk, burrowing owl, banner-tailed kangaroo rat and
kitfox.
On Sept. 18, Sithe requested a categorical
exclusion from BIA to drill the wells. BIA said that
based on review of the document, "the proposed
action qualifies as a categorical exclusion which is
approved based on information provided in the letter."
The categorical exclusion and supporting
documents (EA-06-167) are available for review at the
BIA's Navajo Regional Office in Gallup.
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