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since the day they told us they were taking the water off our fields. That they chose to use our <br />water on a different parcel while they mined our property made sense to us. That they are <br />declaring that we do not have enough water to irrigate our property now that it is being reclaimed <br />- BECAUSE they are using our water on another piece of property - is outrageous! <br />Western Fuels chose to reclaim San Miguel's 80 acres as irrigated land, which was da land <br />before it was mined. Those 80 dry land acres are now productive irrigated fields, which is <br />admirable! HOWEVER, where did the water come from that has been used to irrigate those 80 <br />dry land acres? Is it possible those water shares belong to the property owners who are now <br />being threatened with the possibility of having their previously irrigated fields reclaimed as dry <br />land? How can Western Fuels justify reclaiming 80 acres of dry land as irrigated land and yet <br />declare that they don't have enough water to irrigate property that was irrigated before they <br />mined it? <br />This proposal does not consider the future of the valley or the future of the people who live, <br />farm, and ranch here. Mr. Gubka was not present here in the Nucla valley when people farmed it <br />the way they did before Western Fuels entered the picture. He has witnessed only what <br />happened after land owners signed contracts to allow their property to be mined and what <br />happened as those land owners abandoned their land when they turned it over to Western Fuels - <br />all the time knowing that it would be years before they could return to what had always been <br />their way of life. Based on that extremely limited observation, Mr. Gubka has made some very <br />inaccurate statements and conclusions. Further, it appears that Western Fuels is willing to <br />proceed based on that kind of misinformation. <br />Isn't Western Fuels liable for this kind of misinformation as well as Mr. Gubka? Doesn't it <br />matter to Western Fuels that the rights of the land owners are being violated and that contracts <br />and promises are being broken? Shouldn't Mr. Gubka and Western Fuels be more concerned <br />about the big picture and how it will negatively affect the lives of numerous people for years to <br />come? Shouldn't Western Fuels be more concerned about the reputation and integrity of the <br />company? Why isn't it of concern that just the .mere fact that this proposal Usleen written sets <br />further precedent for hostility and mistrust between the Company and land owners throughout <br />the entire state and for years to come? <br />Western Fuels signed contracts with every property owner affected by this proposal - as well as <br />made explicit promises verbally and in letters - that mined land would be returned to the same <br />use as it was before it was mined <br />We feel strongly, as do other property owners in the Nucla valley, that Western Fuels will be in <br />breach of contract by turning our previously irrigated land into dry land. We have every right to <br />insist hat ur proppM be reel limed to the exact same use that it was in when the contract was <br />si___gned! !