On May 18, the Bureau of Reclamation implemented a plan to increase the flow 10 times the normal rate from Navajo Dam to the San Juan River. This higher river flow will clean the river of silt and debris but also resuspend heavy metals supposedly to bring our river to a healthier state.
Does this mean our government or the Environmental Protection Agency is not telling us the whole truth?
This season, on my farm in Shiprock, I was contemplating whether to plant a garden and alfalfa. The two stories confirm our measurement of high lead content from the lab where I work. Every Wednesday, our lab runs full analysis, including heavy metals. Because of these findings, I will not be farming this season.
I do not want to jeopardize my family, livestock and contamination of my farm soil. Last season, my six grandchildren from Longmont, Colorado, helped on the farm. Their effort was a total loss due to the spill.
Justin D. Yazzie
Farmington
