Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 16 april 2019

Indigenous leaders want less drilling near sacred sites

By MORGAN LEE individual Navajos. A sig-
Associated Press nificant portion of the land
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — would not fall under the
Leaders of the Navajo Na- legislation, which calls for
tion and Pueblo tribes ex- tribal autonomy.
pressed frustration Monday There already are more
with federal oversight of oil than 130 active wells within
and gas leases on public that area, according to the
holdings near ancient Na- Bureau of Land Manage-
tive American cultural sites ment. In recent years, fed-
and endorsed legislation eral land managers repeat-
to restrict natural gas de- edly have deferred any
velopment around Chaco interest by the oil and gas
Culture National Historic industry in parcels that fall
Park. within the proposed buffer.
Acoma Pueblo tribal Gov. New Mexico has promised
Brian Vallo told members of to pursue its own morato-
the House Subcommittee rium on oil and gas lease
on Energy and Mineral Re- sales on state trust land
sources at a hearing in New within the buffer zone, at
Mexico that not enough is the direction of Democrat-
being done to safeguard ic State Land Commission-
sacred sites scattered be- er Stephanie Garcia Rich-
yond the national park at In this Aug. 10, 2005 file photo, tourist Chris Farthing from Suffolks County, England, takes a picture ard. The Bureau of Land
Chaco Canyon. of Anasazi ruins in Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico. Management continues to
Many of the sites involve Associated Press work with the Bureau of In-
more than just physical fea- pacts of air pollution on Environmental Protection park, federal authorities in- dian Affairs on revamping
tures that can be surveyed sacred sites. They also Agency rules requiring en- cluding the Bureau of Land a resource management
by archaeologists, he said, quizzed New Mexico Gov. ergy companies to reduce Management require de- plan for broader San Juan
referring to the less tangible Michelle Lujan Grisham on flaring of methane. In re- tailed land surveys prior to Basin in northwestern New
aspects of Chaco. her administration’s push to sponse, New Mexico has drilling. “Those archaeolog- Mexico and southwestern
“Only we can identify these contain emissions of meth- initiated a process for de- ical surveys are baked into Colorado. It’s one of the
resources,” he said. ane through stricter local veloping its own regulations the process,” said Kathleen nation’s oldest production
Lawmakers including U.S. regulation. to reduce flaring and leak- Sgamma, president of the areas.
Rep. Raul Grijalva of Ari- New Mexico’s all-Demo- age, while giving oilfield Western Energy Alliance The partnership between
zona and New Mexico’s cratic House delegation is regulators new authority to that represents more than the agencies was meant to
Debra Haaland and Ben seeking to halt new oil and issue citations and fines. 300 oil and natural gas ensure tribes would be con-
Ray Luján said they were natural gas lease sales on Panelists on Monday did companies. “Any develop- sulted and that scientific
profoundly moved by a visit federal holdings within a not include oil producers or ment on those leases would and archaeological analy-
Sunday to ancient Chaco 10-mile (16-kilometer) buf- Bureau of Land Manage- have to go through cultural sis would be done to guar-
dwellings and nearby in- fer zone around Chaco ment officials that oversee surveys as specified under antee cultural sensitivity.q
dustrial sites where they Culture National Historic federal mineral leasing. the Natural Historic Preser-
used infrared camera tech- Park. Rep. Alan Lowenthal of vation Act and other laws.”
nology to view methane Grijalva said Chaco Can- California said Republican She doubts the Republi-
escaping into the atmo- yon deserves the same members of the subcom- can-led U.S. Senate will
sphere. consideration for protec- mittee declined to attend endorse the buffer. “It’s
“You could see the plumes tions as Yellowstone Na- the field hearing or appoint largely a messaging thing
coming out and moving tional Park, which received witnesses. at this point,” she said of
across the sky,” Luján said. an ecological buffer under Oil industry representatives Monday’s hearing.
“There’s no question that legislation signed this year say robust protections al- The proposed buffer zone
this is occurring.” by President Trump. ready are in place within includes a mix of state, fed-
The House committee was The Trump administration is the national park at Chaco eral and tribal lands — as
exploring the possible im- seeking to eliminate 2016 Canyon, and beyond the well as parcels owned by