STATEMENT BY PERCY DEAL 

Before the EPA Clean Power Plan Panel 

July 30, 2014, Denver, Colorado 

Good morning, my name is Percy Deal. I will be turning 65 years old next month. I am retired. I 

live in the Black Mesa region of the Navajo reservation, about fifteen miles south of Peabody 

Coal Mine. 

I am here to express my full support for the Clean Power Plan as designated by EPA in response 

to the President's Climate Action Plan for the country. For this plan to work, everyone must 

participate, including the Navajo Nation. 

I want to tell you about my parents' world, prior to Peabody Coal and Navajo Generating 

Station's arrival there was plenty of clean water, unpolluted air, abundant plants and herbs for 

food and medicine. The communities my parents grew up in were healthy, disease and illness 

were rare. I also remember my mother's garden where she grew corn, squash, melons, 

potatoes, beans. Additionally my parents had livestock. All of this was enough to provide for my 

parents and the 7 children they raised. In 2004 at the age of 100 years and 7 months, my dad 

passed away. My mother died at the age of 93. My parents' self-sufficient lifestyle provided us 

with a healthy upbringing. Now due to depletion of our N- aquifer and less rainfall due to 

climate change, our culture and self-sufficiency has been taken away, and dependence on 

public aide has resulted. This change is s a direct result of the energy extraction industries 

establishment in our communities. 

The Navajo Reservation is located in the four corners. It is surrounded by seven power plants 

and mines, two of the 7 are on Navajoland. Now imagine; 7 old outdated 'clunkers', next to 

your residence? Imagine breathing in the hazardous fumes 24/7 for over 50 years? 

I understand EPA is considering delaying the implementation of carbon pollution reduction for 

the Navajo Reservation for several years due to not having a policy in place. I want to stress 

that Navajoland is already heavily polluted from a number of fossil fuel industries. We are 

experiencing the adverse effects of climate change, and the depleting of our precious aquifers. 

We see haze in our skies on a daily basis. The worsening of our environment is contributing to 

respiratory diseases for the young and old alike. Yet, EPA now wants to delay the clean power 

plan on Navajo. Additionally, Congressional Representative for Arizona introduced a legislation 

to waive 15 Federal and State Environmental policies on Navajo in the name of development. If 

the Federal Government allows the delay of clean power and waives policies for Navajoland, 

you will put us at the same level as China where there are no policies and regulations to control 

pollution levels. 

Within and surrounding the Navajo are several National, State and Tribal parks that draws 

millions of tourist from all over the world. The Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Canyon De 
Chelly, Navajo National Park, Rainbow Bridge and many others are located in and near the 

reservation. Local government and businesses depend on these parks. While the haze pollution 

is being addressed for National Parks, it is delayed on Navajo. This is simply another 

environmental injustice, that our people and our air shed is not safeguarded. 

The Navajo Nation should be pursuing alternative energy with full support from the Federal 

government instead of allowing Navajo to go in the opposite direction. Why is there a double 

standard? Let's operate on one standard, including the Navajo Nation. 

I want EPA to help me live in the world my Dad lived in. I want to enjoy breathing in clean air, 

drink good water free of contaminates and I want my children and grandchildren to be part of a 

healthy community, living off the land, being self-sufficient. 

As Native Americans we are taught to respect our Mother the Earth, our Father the Sun. Air 

and water are the most precious resource on earth. Our beliefs consider all living creatures as 

our brothers. Life on earth is like a spider web, when one web is damaged, it destroys all. Let us 

all stop this destruction. 
Big Mountain, Arizona 

T'o Nizhoni Ani 

7/28/2014 

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7/28/2014 

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