NAVAJO COUNCIL’S RESOURCES & DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE SUBCOMMITTEE ON NAVAJO NATION – URI uranium agreement has started.

DELEGATE EDMUND YAZZIE telling Navajo Council’s Resources & Development Committee Subcommittee on Navajo Nation – URI uranium agreement that he’s disappointed with how RDC took action on creating Subcommittee. Yazzie says, “No more sneaky stuff. Where people have to drive many miles to attend meetings.” He asks for two members from Crownpoint and two from Church Rock to be on Subcommittee.

DELEGATE LEONARD TSOSIE says Yazzie’s request will be forwarded to RDC. And there was no sneakiness. Meetings were posted on internet. And there is no law against Delegate serving on entity.

NAVAJO DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ATTORNEY ALLEN
We will not violate any laws.

DELEGATE TSOSIE
We are asking you to violate any laws.

URI REPRESENTATIVE MARK PELIZZA
pleased to be at this table. Owner respectful of culture. we want to do demonstration project. we promise to remediate section 17. we are struggling with “doable” standards which is why nothing getting done fast. we understand that there are legal differences of opinion. we are not interested pursuing legal challenges and only get into legal standoff. i will work as hard as possible where needs of both sides met.

SUBCOMMITTEEE MEMBER DELEGATE LEONARD PETE
Want to clarify that RDC legislation creating Subcommittee was not approval for uranium demonstration project.

DELEGATE DUANE TSINIGINE
If a project like this should go forward unfortunately, I need to know how this impacts the legislation/law that was approved regarding the Transportation of Uranium. I just need summary.

SUBCOMMITTEE DELEGATE TSOSIE
We’ll get to that when reach Item C and we’ll address “heavy duty” issues to next meeting. C is URI entry onto section. And demonstration project is what URI will show us on map. Section 17 remediation is a URI and EPA discussion. URI says looking at standard that they want lower and NEPA saying no.