Dooda Desert Rock Victory–October 1st

Posted byJacqui
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October 28, 2009

During the West Coast Climate Convergence I was fortunate to hear moving testimony of Elouise Brown, Executive Director of the Dooda Desert Rock Initiative.  Upon hearing her story I knew that hers was a tale we should highlight during the course of the Women of Color for Climate Justice Tour.

A couple of weeks later, I was in California and plotting my course to Arizona and New Mexico, and I called Elouise and asked if she was willing and able to accommodate a visit and interview where I could profile the struggles of Elouise and her community to inspire, encourage, and be an example to others.

Over the phone Elouise shared her experience with having been harassed since returning from the WC Convergence, including the vandalizing of her car, in retaliation for her leadership in resisting the establishment of the 3^rd coal fired power plant in a 50 mile radius of her community.  Still she welcomed me to come, listen, and uplift her story. I felt honored.

So I set off on the 18 hour drive (yes, hypocritically emitting along the way) with enthusiasm for experiencing the story of the Dooda Desert Rock Initiative. Dooda Desert Rock means “No-Desert Rock”. Desert Rock is the name of the proposed power plant. The community in which Elouise lives is a town called Newcomb, New Mexico which has a population of 387 people and is a primarily Navajo community about 23 miles west of Shiprock, NM.

In nearby Farmington, NM Elouise and I met in a café where she told me that people were following her and she knew this because her car was vandalized not only at her home, but also when she was traveling around. My self-preservation side was covertly looking out the window thinking “Are they following her now?  I’m associated with her now. Why didn’t I take out full coverage on that rental car?”  But I quickly chided myself and berated my wandering thoughts with the mantra “Focus! Focus! Stop thinking about yourself!” and was able to quickly re-engage in the conversation and situation at hand. I promise I didn’t check out for long! J

Elouise shared that not only had they broken into her car, but that they had managed to steal $2700 that she was carrying for a celebration that was occurring the next day!  Putting the theft aside, she described the good news that the Dooda Desert Rock Initiative was enjoying a victory celebration because this very week they had been notified that their action to block the building of the proposed coal fired power plant had been successful!   They prevailed in the face of fierce opposition of the companies advancing the power plant, as well as the President of the Navajo nation, who is a proponent of the power plant because of his belief that it will bring jobs and prosperity to the area.

Thanks to the lobbying of the Dooda Desert Rock Initiative, the Environmental Protection Agency firmly enforced the requirement that the proposed plant meet stringent standards in order to gain the air quality permit necessary to erect the power plant.  Given the very essence of this type of facility and its emissions, Elouise was confident that meeting the required air quality standards will not be possible and that the threat of this project has been effectively eliminated.

Thus, in spite of financial setbacks, harassment, vandalizing, and stress, at the Annual Shiprock Navajo Fair, the Dooda Desert Rock Initiative celebrated this great victory with music, dancing, and joy.