Good Morning. Chairman Chaffetz (Oversight and Government Reform)
Chairman Rob Bishop (House Committee on Natural Resources) and ranking members of the committees.
My Name is RUSSELL BEGAYE of the KINLICHIINII and BITAHNI clan and I am the PRESIDENT of the NAVAJO NATION.
I was born and raised along the San Juan River in Shiprock, NM. Years ago, when I was a little boy, we saw hundreds of dead fish floating down the river. As boys we jump in the river catching the dying fish. I have been wondering for years, what happened and why were those fish were dead.
Just a month ago, I finally got an answer. On August 13 when Administrator McCarthy came to visit our Nation, I learned 1.5 million gallons of radium 226 spilled from the Uranium Mill Site located by the bridge in Shiprock. We not only swam in that radioactive water but my brothers, my community ate the contaminated fish. USEPA did not warn the people when that spill occurred or helped the community recover, instead kept quiet.
I am asking members of these two committees to not allow history to repeat itself. Hold the EPA accountable for the toxic spill that occur on August 5th about a month and half ago. Don’t let them get away with their negligence.
My people are suffering. Much of the organic crops have been lost. Our livestock are penned up. Our farmers and ranchers are exhausted from hauling water. Our children are afraid of the river. We have been told by the EPA that clean up will take decades. This is what we will have to live with for years to come.
So, today we come to ask for your help. The White House is silent. FEMA, DOI and other federal agencies are being told to not use their own resources to help us by the USEPA.
USEPA has made promises but we have not seen any of these promises fulfilled. The promises remain empty. They are like the thunder we hear over our land but with no rain.
Our people need…
- First and foremost is compensation now. The farmers and ranchers cannot wait months before they are compensated for their damages. I know this year bills will not be paid, clothing for children will not be bought, and food will be scarce. Have the EPA setup an Emergency Compensation Fund and provide ongoing repayment of losses as they are submitted. Don’t be a party to this injustice by having our farmers waive future claims after they get their first compensation checks.
- We need an alternative water source for drinking, for our livestock and for irrigating our farms. We are asking that wells be drilled, a reservoir built and water be piped from the Navajo Dam.
- We want the EPA to build us a laboratory on the Navajo Nation so we can continuously test our water, soil, plants, and livestock.
- We are asking this Committee to tell President Obama to declare the San Juan river a disaster area. Only then will other federal agencies beside EPA provide services we need. This will allow FEMA, USDA, DOI and other federal agencies to provide resources we need now.
- We are asking this Committee to hold a follow up hearing 6 months from now because we do not want this to become old news a week from now.
The Navajo Nation will not let any and all negligent parties to get away with this disaster. We will stand our ground until our River and river beds are safe once again for our children to play in and our people to use as a drinking source.
The Navajo Nation will no longer stand back when these types of atrocities are done to our people, our land, and our water for WATER IS LIFE.
I thank you for your time and attention and we will look to your leadership to right this injustice. Ahehee.