THE TRUTH WELL TOLD·

Tuesday
April 12, 2011
Number 116 Volume 124

Courtesy photo
Frank Laughter of the Navajo Nation
Department of Water Resources' Leupp
Field Office fills a water tank for Olsen
Black of Grand Falls.

Nation delivers
rinkingwater
to Box Springs
By Kathy Helms
Dine Bureau

BLACK FALLS, Ariz ..-;-Battling winds

gusting at more than 40 mph and teeth-rat-
tling washboard roads, the first 4,000":gallon
tanker of safe drinking water from the Nava-
jo Nation arrived Friday morning in Box
Springs, located a few miles out a well-worn
dirt road near Black Falls.'
It was a major milestone, after more than
two years of effort by the grassroots. group
the Forgotten People, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Navajo Nation EPA and
former employee Deb Misra, Department of
Water Resources, Emergency Management,
two presidential administrations, Navajo
Nation Council delegates and a host of oth-
ers.
But the superstar Friday was Najam Tariq
ofNavajo Division of Water Resources, who
put together a proposal in February 2009
that led to U.S. EPA awarding $2.64 million
for the three-year Safe Drinking Water Haul-

See Water. Page 5

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E~.);;.~~;.,~~, _ :.j.';~;. .
Continued from Page 1
ing Feasibility Study and Pilot
Project. The funds: allowed the
Nation to purchase five 4,000
gallon water-hauling tankers
and an equipment service truck
to transport safe drinking water
to' residents, in Black Falls, Box
Springs and Grand Falls who
haye been". drinking 'uranium-.
and' , . arsenic-containinated
water, as well as other portions
of the reservation where similar
conditions exist.
'~I did make a promise that
the first load of water would be
delivered to the people' over
here," Tariq said.as he was wel-
corned into the, home of cancer
victim Rolanda Tohannie, who
is recovering from her 10th sur-
gery; this time for tumors in her
throat. When water 'delivery
didn't come fast enough, For-
gotten People showed up on the
doorstep of newly installed
Navajo Nation President Ben
Shelly, demanding action.
Shelly asked them to give him
two months to see what he
could do.
','Ever since the last meeting
that was held in Window Rock
with President Shelly, ..I have
been, getting calls," Tariq said.
"I think he put two people on
me to call me every week. ...
They got my home number,
they got my office number, they
got my cell phone number and
they just called me. 'Where do
you stand? President Shelly said
oI{>:
..
60 days.' I said tell Mr. Shelly Falls area," Tariq said. But peo- 'Marsha Monestersky, pro- water and sanitation, and will,
we are working very hard. We pie still need livestock water, so' 'gram manager for Forgotten' benefit water haulers through- :
will get there within 60 days "- they started two waterline 'People, said trying to solve out the Navajo Nation," she"
and,I think 'we got there," Tariq extension projects and have access to safe drinking water
I said.
said. completed two storage tanks. problems on the Navajo Nation, Eleanor Peshlakai of Black ~
, A Declaration of Public One is located neat Box Springs' "is like trying to run in quick- Falls is very much in support of',
, Health Emergency was declared and another near Grand Falls. sand." One thing Forgotten. drilling wells, she said, because"
on Jan. 15, 2010, due to the "am intentions are we want to People wants to do is form a it is more reliable than water:
number' of cancer cases in the have the .water in the 24,000- water and energy co-op. hauling, especially when it,
area and the fact that residents gallon storage tanks within the "I believe the collaboration comes to weather' conditions. ,
such as -Tohannie were drinking next two months. That' is the of Forgotten People, Black "We get sudden rains, and that
contaminated water from live- livestock water," he said. Falls/Box Springs/Grand Falls is going to be very tough on
stock watering points without, Navajo Nation Council Del- residents with the U.S. EPA pursuing the method of hauling
knowing the water was unsafe egate Walter Phelps, who repre- Superfund and Navajo Depart- water and relying only on that."
to drink.' sents the area, said, "You don't" merit of Water Resources will Elsie Tohannie of Black
"I'm very happy that I know how excited and how 'create a prototype of a safe Falls said her family-has-te-haul
received the water that Tariq happy I am for you. Be grateful. ·ffiinking water delivery system water from the west side of'
promised and happy that God Be thankful. This is not some- that begins to fulfill the intent of .Leupp, The road is terrible and,
approved it," Tohannie said. thing that's coming out of our a January 2010 Navajo Nationvthe trailer they .use t*es a beat+
"As for the roads, it would be pockets. This is special funds Declaration of'.Public Health ing, she .said. "I'm looking for- r-. '
great if the roads were fIXedfor from EPA. It's not coming from Emergency, supports people's .ward to this .change Of
the hauling of, the water,
because water is -life."
But the water hauling project
Indian Health Service. They
have claimed infeasible $52
million worth of projects for the
I
human rights' to safe drinking lifestyle." ,
is just a temporary .fix, accord- five chapters that I'm oversee- I
ing to Tariq. Water Resources ing right now."
.has submitted a proposal to U.S.
EPA through Indian Health
,Isabelle Walker from Independent
Shelly's office reminded every- UPS 016·605 ISSN 1099·6052
Services to drill two exploratory one that they' are not the only' John K. Zollinger Robert C. Zollinger Barry Heifner
wells. EPA _has approved ones who are suffering. "There Chairman Publisher Managing Editor
$450,000 for drilling the first are other people in dire need of 1964-2007
well, which is expected to be . assistance. They don't have
completed this year. If the water electricity, they don't have run-
quality from that well is. good ning water to their home a dis-
for human consumptiori, the tmice from here. They're also in
,agency will consider funding need of help. This issue of
$500,000 for' a second addressing the water needs of
exploratory well. the people has gone through The Independent - Gallup, N.M. - Tuesday, April 12, 2011 i
"Once this project becomes many administrations, election
feasible. it will provide water to . after .election," she" said. She
....... i
155 homes north-northwest of encouraged them to keep push-
Leupp. That includes Box ing forward ill-trying to get-th,
Springs, Black Falls and Grand services to the people.