Activist Erin Brockovich Tours Navajo Nation To See Impact Of Mine Spill
Environmental activist Erin Brockovich is visited the Navajo Nation on Tuesday to see the impact of a mine waste spill on Navajo farms. Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency accidentally released 3 million gallons of mine waste into the Animas and San Juan rivers.
Erin Brockovich spoke to a crowd gathered at Shiprock High School about taking a stand. She said all it takes is one person.
“You have to develop the habits of persevering even when you don’t want to and it would be easier to give up,” Brockovich said. “I’m telling you today, never give up! Have sticktoitiveness.”
As a legal clerk in the 1990s, Brockovich investigated illnesses in a California community that were linked to a groundwater pollutant. Residents settled the case for $333 million dollars, and their story was made into a movie.
The Navajo Nation plans to sue the EPA over the Aug. 5 spill. Hundreds of Navajo farmers and ranchers are still reluctant to use water from the San Juan River for fear of contamination. The EPA initially downplayed the incident, but has since brought in water for people, crops and livestock.
The Navajo president called on the Federal Emergency Management Agency for additional help but was turned down.
More Gold King Mine Coverage
- Navajo Nation Asks For FEMA Help, While Preparing To Sue EPA
- CAP Official: Mine Contaminants Likely Won't Affect Arizona Water Supply
- ADEQ Expects No Noticeable Change In Arizona Water Quality After Mine Spill
- Navajo President Opens Irrigation Canal After Mine SpillE
- Navajo Nation Farmers Reject Use Of Water After Mine Spill
- Navajo Farmers Worry About Future Seasons
- Navajo Farmers Air Frustrations To EPA Over Wastewater Spill
- EPA Addresses Wastewater Spill With Community In Farmington, New Mexico
- ADEQ: Waste From Abandoned Arizona Mines Less Likely To Cause Big Problems
- Navajo Farmers Watch Crops Dry Up In Wake Of Mine Wastewater Spill
- Navajo President Threatens To Sue EPA Over Mine Spill
- Officials: Impact Of Contaminated Wastewater On Lake Powell, Colorado River Unknown
- EPA Releases Mine Waste Into Colorado's Animas River
