Document ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0317-0352
Agency: epa
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2021-12-17T05:00Z

Ya'ateeh', my name is Daryl Junes Joe, I am Dine woman from the Navajo Nation in Shiprock, New Mexico, commonly referred to as the Four Corners.  I also am a member of the United Methodist Women organization on which I serve as one of the many Directors.  I serve as the Chair for the Governance Committee.
I am grateful and appreciative for allowing me to speak on this important matter.   I come before you in strong support of the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed methane rules and I am urging to strengthen those rules which will maximize the benefits for public health and our environment, the environment which we, Indigenous Native people, refer to as Mother Earth.  She has suffered enough, we can revive her waters, her air and her lands by taking action now.  I speak of the harmful methane emissions stemming from the oil and gas facilities within our Native communities.  Toxic methane pollutions coming out of leaking and nonlit flaring wellsites. 
The Environmental Protection Agency proposes the Clean Air Act rule which is an important step in reducing methane and other damaging air pollutants from new and existing sources in the oil and gas industry with the proposed Clean Air Act rule.  However, the proposal does not go far enough to address pollution from unlit flares or require frequent enough inspections of covered sources.  These proposed rules must include a ban on routine flaring and potential loopholes that allow certain wells to forgo any regular inspections, also it should incorporate a third-party community monitoring.  These are critical gaps that must be addressed to ensure that public health is prioritized, frontline communities are protected, that our precious Mother Earth is protected and preserved - AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, HOLD THE OIL AND GAS COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE.    EPA, in its fiduciary responsibility to our nation, must act now and strengthen the proposal for stronger federal methane safeguards to cut methane.
I'm a great grandmother, speaking on behalf of those who cannot speak, my elders, children and other relatives including four-legged relatives, those in the waters and those flying above us.  I see many of our native communities have well sites installed near their residences, many of our Navajo elders do not understand the English language nor do they understand the complexities of the industry regulations.  What they do understand is that their failing health was caused by the heavy smog of health-harming pollutants from flaring and leaking methane spewing from the oil and gas operations equipment. It is said that we are in a sacrifice zone with the nation's largest methane hotspot hovering overhead, and we have had to live with the pollution from oil and gas development for many decades.  The carbon and gases including methane spewing from these developments are killing the flowers, the rains and the snows and possibly our future. 
As Indigenous people, we are taught that everything has a spirit.  If you are not spiritually connected to Mother Earth and understand the spiritual reality of how to live on earth, it's likely you will not make it.  Everything is spiritual given to  us from our Creator.
 Our native culture and traditions are affected by the unhealthy pollutions which spread far from the facility sites.  These well sites are set near residences, schools and businesses, it has affected our elders suffering from asthma or cancer, our children play in their yards at home and schools inhaling the toxic chemicals causing them to miss school.  Unborn babies are affected as well.  Their futures are bleak and will continue unless EPA takes a strong stand to address it.  Our sacred mountains are affected as well.  The mountains provide plants which are used for healing ceremonies, plants used for nutritional foods that Natives make, they are tasty and have healing properties like vitamins.  Roots of some plants also are used for personal cleaning use, hair brushes are made from long stemmed reeds.  The mountains provide timber with which to build homes and fires in homes for warmth and cooking.  These pollutants are dangerous to our culture and traditional way of life.
I believe that strong and strict methane pollution standards for oil and gas production are among the most meaningful steps that can be taken to slow climate change. I am angered at energy developments for destabilizing the life of the earth and at politicians and bureaucrats who allow this.  But as a woman of faith, I believe that climate change is not a political issue but a moral and biblical responsibility because we are supposed to be caretakers of God's creation, we are failing in that responsibility.  As United Methodist Women, we have spoken out, supporting efforts to create awareness and stand in solidarity with all Native Tribes to protect our environment through our climate justice campaigns.  
We may all have different backgrounds, histories and cultures, but we all drink from the same stream of consciousness, we're all connected in that stream, we're all related to each other, what we do to others we do to ourselves. Our elders, traditional healers, tell us that because we are no longer living in harmony, we're out of balance with nature and have a lack of love and understanding of one another.  Actions are critical now, not only for us but for our children and their children's future.  
The Environmental Protection Agency must understand that the need for oil and gas should not take priority over the health and safety of their people, the revised rules must be strengthened before they are finalized to ensure that the Environmental Protection Agency is using the full force of the Clean Air Act to meet this climate crisis and ensure protection for our communities' health.  Anything less is a missed opportunity that will have dire consequences on public health and Mother Earth. 
I would like to thank you for this time to voice our concern and add to everyone else's comments in solidarity.  Ahe'hee'.    
Daryl Junes Joe
Shiprock, New Mexico