On Thursday, Council delegate Dr. Andy Nez to Navajo Nation President Dr. Buu Nygren in the Red Lake Chapter when he signed legislation 0149-24, establishing the Navajo Nation Remediation Fund to provide dedicated funding for cleanup of contaminated sites on the Navajo Nation.
Sponsored by Dr. Nez and passed during the 2024 Fall Council session, legislation 0149-24 creates the Navajo Nation Environmental Remediation Fund. This fund is supported by an automatic appropriation of two percent of the general fund, allowing for continued financial support for remediation efforts led by the Navajo Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) and its contractors. The purpose of the fund is to identify, assess and clean up former business and industrial sites on the Navajo Nation that have been contaminated with hazardous chemicals, which pose risks to public health, livestock, crops, groundwater and the environment.
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Prior to the signing, Dr. Nez President Nygren to discuss the significant impact this legislation will have on communities like Sawmill, Red Lake and others in the Navajo Nation.
“One of the most important things about this legislation is that it ensures the protection, longevity and importance of our country. Over time, there have been many different businesses, whether commercial or industrial, that have disrupted our country,” said Councilor Dr. Nez. “The intent of this legislation is to address these issues. When we talk about corporate sites, it is the contamination efforts that we help clean up through remediation efforts. “
The signing of Red Lake’s chapter was particularly significant given its proximity to the former Navajo Forest Products Industry (NFPI) site, which has been closed for more than 25 years but remains heavily contaminated from its operational past. Dr. Nez recalled introducing the first legislation to address the NFPI site on November 30, 2023.
“At that moment I said these efforts and this legislation are for our future generations. We want them to grow up in space and land that is not only beautified, but also has the potential for diverse opportunities,” he said. “The creation of the Navajo Nation Remediation Fund is part of a larger economic plan
NEPA Executive Director Stephen Etsitty commended the collaborative efforts of the chapters involved in ensuring a solution to an urgent need. “An exciting thing for me is getting the cleanup going. Section by section, we can get the land into shape for reuse,” said director EtSitty. “Who knows what the children of the future will be able to use this land for once it is cleaned up.”
Dr. Nez expressed gratitude to all those who contributed to the development of this legislation, including the Crystal, Fort Defiance, Red Lake and Sawmill chapters; Former NEPA Remedial Project Manager Pam Maples; Navajo Townsite Community Development Corporation Executive Director Prestene Garnenez; NEPA Executive Director Stephen Etsitty; and NEPA Waste Regulatory and Compliance Department Manager Warren Roan.
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