McKinley County Water Board
M I N U T E S
McKinley
County Complex
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Paulene McCabe Manuelito
Chapter
Joan Sandy Pueblo of Zuni
Edward Wemytewa Pueblo
of Zuni
facilitators/staff:
Evan Williams Northwest NM
Council of Governments
Larry Winn McKinley County Soil
& Water Conservation District
Edward
Wemytewa moved, and Joan Sandy seconded to approve the minutes from the “Small
Systems Forum” of May 11, 2005.
The motion was approved by acclamation.
Larry Winn
opened the meeting by adding an agenda item regarding the EL Segundo/Mustang
Project. The group agreed to take that
item first.
a. EL SEGUNDO
/ MUSTANG PROJECT
i.
Larry Winn described that he was recently appointed to the
Soil & Water Conservation Districts Board and was immediately tasked with
serving on the NM Coal Surface Mining Commission, which holds a seat for
a SWCD representative.
ii.
At his first meeting, he found out that there is going to be
a public meeting in Gallup on June 15, 2005 at 6PM at the County Courthouse
regarding the Lee Ranch development of a ‘clean’ coal processing plant adjacent
to the surface mining operation in McKinley County.
iii.
This item has been a discussion item of the Water Board in
the past and a request of Commissioner Billy Moore for discussion into water
ramifications.
ACTION: Evan Williams would contact Water Board members and Commissioner Moore regarding this event. Larry Winn is researching issue with assistance from NM Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources, and will be the lead on representing any water issues or questions regarding the project.
b. URANIUM
MINING REPORT
i.
The Board discussed the ramifications of the most recent
Hydro Resources, Inc. public meeting with the Eastern Navajo Allottee
Association and the Navajo Nation’s passed moratorium on uranium mining. Larry Winn said that the ban makes our job a
little easier, but that he felt his discussion with HRI made him re-think his
stance on the Crownpoint proposal.
Edward Wemytewa commented that the URI presentation was very informative
on the process of in-situ leech mining. Evan Williams noted that HRI staff
discredited the ENDUAM modeling, but that it was a high-level scientific and
theoretical argument and not based on concrete evidence of how the aquifer
would behave in Crownpoint. The Board
felt comfortable still about the Churchrock operation and the effects of that
project on the groundwater.
ACTION: The Board decided to want for a quorum to decide if they should reconsider a recommendation to the County Commission, and if more action is needed in determining if the Crownpoint proposal is a threat to the water supply. The Board also will wait to see if Mike Daly has produced a white paper on issue and has any new input.
c. SMALL
SYSTEMS FORUM NEXT STEPS
i.
The Board discussed kudos received by the presenters to the
activities Gallup-McKinley County in the realm of small system and water
planning. The Board also discussed the
successfulness and benefit of having the forum and getting more individuals
involved next time.
ii.
Larry Winn facilitated a conversation around taking
regionalization to the next level and possibly establishing an association of
systems that shares information, resources, and more.
iii.
Evan Williams voiced that he felt the Water Board was a good
start and jump off point for such an organization to evolve. He also thought that reviewing the
individual systems needs and prioritizing the most important issues and then
researching and developing an effective solution that members can all
support.
iv.
Joan Sandy and Edward Wemytema felt that the Pueblo of Zuni
would be interested in this type of association.
v.
Paulene McCabe mentioned that if entities came on board,
Homeland Security monies could be applied for by this association to get
emergency tie-ins with neighboring communities.
ACTION: The Board decided to take the idea of an association a step forward with more Board members present. Evan Williams offered to put together a brief matrix of the different needs and issues he has heard from small systems, for the group to prioritize, and thought that Jeff Kiely could facilitate a session next time to move the process into a singular focus.
d. WATER
TRUST BOARD APPLICATION
i.
Evan Williams explained that the Water Trust Board was
requesting letters of interest on water infrastructure projects throughout the
State.
e. REVIEW OF
TASKLIST
i.
Evan Williams explained that the task order list needed to
be updated but slowly and surely the Board has completed a sizeable portion of
work.
f. Invitation
of Navajo-Gallup Technical Team
i.
Evan Williams proposed to the Board that at the next Water
Board meeting they should invite representatives for the NGWSP Technical Team
and Commissioner Becenti, so the Board can discuss the County’s role and
benefit and also the details of how communities will be served. The Board felt this was a good idea, and
Evan was asked to follow-up.
ii.
Paulene McCabe announced that she was having a funder’s
meeting at the Manuelito Chapter on June 16th, regarding the funding
of a waterline project for Manuelito.
She asked Evan Williams if he could attend. She said that the BIA and allotment process is still holding the
project up, and that the BIA is meeting in Huerfano to with allotment issues
and ROW. Paulene also discussed how
many different funding sources were being tapped on this project, and how she
was being modeled as a pilot for combining appropriations for several Navajo
Departments under one Department to administer. Larry Winn asked Paulene if she would be willing to write a short
brief on the process, so others could understand it.
Evan
Williams, Associate Planner
Northwest
NM Council of Governments