Nearly 20 years after Peabody Mining closed its Black Mesa Mine and five years after the Kayenta Mine and Navajo Generating Station closed on the Navajo Nation, residents are working toward recovery of what’s left of the land after more than 50 years of coal extraction.
The work includes a land use plan that has been 20 years in the making and a proposal for a community center that will also be instrumental as a climate resilience center. While the coal company initiated reclamation efforts, the post-mining landscape has always appeared different depending on whether it’s seen by someone who resides within the community or someone from the outside.
Black Mesa United is a nonprofit organization made up of members of the Navajo community in Black Mesa, or Dziłíjiin, who have experienced the effects and aftermath of coal mining firsthand. Established in 2009, Black Mesa United organized into six sectors to advocate for the residents of the area.
For the rest of this article: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2024/12/06/land-use-plan-would-help-navajo-residents-affected-by-mine-closures/76766100007/