Nation not backing down against EPA's attempt to thwart mine spill lawsuits

By Babette Herrmann

Sun Editor


WINDOW ROCK – Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye said Friday that he expected Environmental Protection Agency officials to take measures to block lawsuit attempts against the agency for the Gold King Mine spill disaster of 2015.

The Navajo Nation asserts in a federal lawsuit that the spill contaminated reservation water sources and hurt farmers' bottom lines. They also criticized the agency for being slow to respond to the Nation's needs at the time.

The EPA Denver office stated in news release earlier today that an independent claims officer within the agency, said...

Staff Reports


DENVER – The independent claims officer within the Environmental Protection Agency – guided by the U.S. Department of Justice – made a decision on the administrative claims brought under the Federal Tort Claims Act in connection with the Aug. 5, 2015 Gold King Mine spill Jan. 13.















"After careful analysis, the claims officer concluded that the agency is not legally able to pay compensation for the claims," the EPA stated in a news release.







According to the EPA, when passing the FTCA, Congress wanted to encourage government agencies to take action without the fear of paying damages in the event something went wrong while taking the...

ALBUQUERQUE – Darold Ray ZunieFeathers, 20, a member and resident of Zuni Pueblo, N.M., plead guilty Jan. 11 in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to an involuntary manslaughter charge.






ZunieFeathers was arrested in April 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with involuntary manslaughter. According to the complaint, ZunieFeathers killed a Zuni Pueblo man when he ran over him with his vehicle on July 29, 2015, on the Zuni Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M.

 

At the time ZunieFeathers ran over the victim, ZunieFeathers was driving under the influence of alcohol. ZunieFeathers was subsequently indicted on the same charge on May 10, 2016.



 

During...

Cops, Deputies Listen to Public’s Concerns

The Gallup Police Department held its second Coffee with a Cop community outreach event Jan. 9 at the Octavia Fellin Main Library.

Coffee with a Cop brings police officers and the citizens they serve together – over a cup of coffee and pastries – to informally discuss issues and learn more about each other, Lt. Roseanne Morrissette, public information officer with the GPD, said.

The most recent event brought out McKinley County Sheriff Ron Silversmith, McKinley County Undersheriff Paul Lucero, Gallup Mayor Jackie McKinney, City Councilwoman Linda Garcia, former University of New Mexico-Gallup instructor Martin Link – and a host of...