August 27

August 27

It's been three Sundays since we heard about the toxic spill from the Gold King Mine in Colorado.

The "abandoned" mine where the EPA itself (unintentionally) caused a spill of more than 3 million gallons of wastewater turned the Animas River system orange and flowed into the Navajo Nation, threatening the source of irrigation water in the Shiprock area. Some 750+ families rely on farming for food in this area. Fortunately Farmington and Shiprock share a reservoir with about a three-month supply of clean water, so the drinking water is safe.

The EPA didn't alert the Navajo Nation about the spill until 24 hours after the incident.

Water that the EPA shipped in arrived in tankers apparently used for carrying oil, and oil drops were found floating in the water. President Bagaye deemed it wise to send the tankers back rather than to use the water.

A week after the spill, the Animas River was tested in Colorado and deemed ready to be reopened to the public for recreational purposes.

The Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency gave the green light to use the San Juan River for irrigation on Monday, but President Russell Begaye stated that he decided to keep the canals closed because a non-profit group has found heavy metals including vanadium, titanium, and barium in its samples. The riverbed sediment should also be tested because each time the soil is disturbed, the water could be re-contaminated. The farmers are overwhelmingly concerned about contaminated fields and crops, which people will not want to buy.

Cleaning this up is more than an economic problem, though that is an important impact. The Navajos have a cultural and traditional connection to their land; water is the elemental basis of the tradition of their religion. For the river to be harmed in this way, the damage is beyond description. You would understand this feeling when you think about how you react to the desecration of a church or a satirical picture of Jesus on the Cross. There is a sense of mourning in the Nation over the damage done to the river.

The Bible also uses the image of the Holy Spirit as the Living Water -- the water that refreshes and cleanses our souls as Jesus revealed to the woman at the well – the water that flows from our beings to bless others.

Pray for the Navajo leaders as they solve these problems.