"In December 2008, Navajo President Shirley sent the Obama-Biden transition team a federal agenda that outlines 27 recommendation policies and requests for $2.9 billion in funding through Obama's $775 billion stimulus program.

Some of these priorities include research funding for water rights, health issues and medical facilities on the Navajo Nation. These issues require an attentive eye from Obama; however, Shirley concealed the proposed Desert Rock power plant and carbon capture sequestration, or CCS, technology as riders in the agenda. In effect, Shirley's fraudulent action not only breaches federal trust responsibility, but he invites testing non-existent technology on innocent test subjects, the Navajos.

Altogether, Desert Rock's 20-year lack of achievement and $4 billion price tag is deviously embedded in the federal agenda. What is most disturbing, however, is the notion that Navajos are expendable guinea pigs to non-existent technology. In 2009, we hope that the legal, political and economic tangles will hasten the demise of Desert Rock."

Get the Story:
Dailan Long, Luci Willie and Sarah Jane White: Desert Rock request is untenable (The Farmington Daily Times 1/24)

Other Stories:
Group hails EPA decision to review Desert Rock air permit (The Gallup Independent 1/24)
Power plant developers seek right-of-way (AP 1/25)