Laserfiche WebLink
<br />I- <br />I <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />In September of 1972 the New Mexico Interstate Stream <br /> <br />Commission recommended to Governor King that the state support <br /> <br />authorization of a contract with El Paso Natural Gas Company for <br /> <br />28,250 acre-feet of water for the operation of another coal <br /> <br />gasification complex to be constructed on the Navajo Reservation <br /> <br />~. with a total capacity of 785 million cubic feet per day. The <br /> <br />Governor did this by a letter to the Secretary of the Interior <br /> <br />9a~ed ~eptember 12, 1972 and by letters to the members of the <br /> <br />~ew Mexico Congressional delegation. <br /> <br />Public hearings on the <br /> <br />draft environmental impact statement on the proposed contract <br /> <br />were held in Window Rock and Farmington in late March of this <br /> <br />year. Contract negotiations were completed sometime ago and <br /> <br />the Secretary has had his determination on the availability of <br /> <br />water for the contract under active consideration for a number <br /> <br />of months. <br /> <br />Mr. Wilson Skeet, Vice Chairman of the Navajo Tribe, <br /> <br />reported in 1972 an unemployment rate of 65% for the members <br /> <br />of the Tribe. The proposed El Paso Natural Gas Company contract <br /> <br />contains a provision requiring that preference be given Navajo <br /> <br />Indians for employment in the operation of the gasification <br /> <br />facilities. The development contemplated under this water con- <br /> <br />tract is of great importance to the Navajo Tribe in terms of <br /> <br />coal royalties as well as employment opportunity. Under full <br /> <br />development the coal gasification complex would process 77,000 <br /> <br />tons of Navajo coal per day; royalties to the Tribe are con- <br /> <br />servatively estimated at $11 million per year. About 3000 <br /> <br />employees would be required in plant operation and supporting <br /> <br />services would Drov~a~ additional 5]00 iobs. <br />