Letters | Hydrogen hub development does not allow for meaningful community collaboration

Hydrogen hub development does not allow for meaningful community collaboration

Since December 2021, Tó Nizhóní Ání (TNA) has been presenting to chapters about hydrogen and potential hydrogen development and how it may affect their communities and the Navajo Nation as a whole. All the information and data on hydrogen that TNA has shared is not based on the projects because the project developers have not disclosed specifics on their projects. However, the presentations and informational sessions TNA has done are based on studies and analysis scientists and experts have conducted about already operating hydrogen projects and pipelines around the world. TNA’s hydrogen presentations also have Navajo language translations, which local language experts have assisted with.

We, TNA, have also been following the “hydrogen hype” at both the state and federal level for the past two years. This may not seem like a long time, but we may still be able to provide clarifying information to fill the holes former Delegate Mark Freeland had in his most recent op-ed. Firstly, Mr. Freeland’s current role is with a non-profit called Four Corners Clean Energy Alliance, which has been pushing a supporting narrative about hydrogen on Navajo chapters and who are in partnership with Tallgrass Energy. There is also another company called Strongbow Strategies whose Chief Executive Officer Clara Pratte, who also is the founder and managing director of Navajo Power, is doing chapter outreach on the pipeline surveying process.

Mr. Freeland also references the Navajo Agriculture Products Industry hydrogen informational meeting which to place on May 30, 2023. TNA was invited to present for the very first time at this event and all information given was the same information that is given to chapters.

TNA is taking the position of opposing hydrogen (again, based on the science) for several reasons. Firstly, the hydrogen projects that are being proposed are not “clean.” The hydrogen that will be produced is going to be derived from methane. Hydrogen made this way means more natural gas could potentially be needed, which means more exploration, more drilling, and more extraction. On top of that we all know that the oil and gas industry is not a clean industry. One example is methane clouds from the San Juan Basin and Permian Basin which is indicative of an industry’s lack of monitoring and unwillingness to address leakage. nor will the industry take responsibility for the cost to human health and the environment they have affected. There does exists something called green hydrogen, which is hydrogen produced from renewable energy. However, this method of producing hydrogen is also water and energy intensive, but none of the proposed projects on or near Navajo intend to make hydrogen exclusively this way.

Project developers have yet to inform communities what water sources they will use, how much, how long, and what measures they will take if the water source becomes contaminated or over drafted due to hydrogen production. Water is scarce in our desert ecosystem and potable water is even more limited. What makes even less sense is the fact that there is still a significant number of households on Navajo that don’t have access to running water, but outside companies and tribal enterprises get access and don’t have to pay market prices for it, furthermore, they are not required to include in their plan of operations or lease agreements any provisions that will protect the water.

Thirdly, there is a hydrogen pipeline that is being proposed by Tallgrass Energy/Strongbow Strategies, it’s 200-plus miles long and runs through 12 chapters (Red Mesa, Teec Nos Pos, Sweet Water, Mexican Water, Gadii’ahi, Dennehotso, Kayenta, Shonto, Tonalea, Tuba City, Cameron, Coalmine Canyon). The pipeline will run through people’s grazing areas and maybe even near homes. The main problems with the pipeline are related to infrastructure, encroachment, climate, and safety.

For example, hydrogen is very flammable and is rated a 4 on the National Fire Protection Association. It only takes a small amount of energy for hydrogen to ignite so there is a possibility for a pipeline to rupture and explode/detonate. Is the Navajo Nation taking into consideration the dangers a hydrogen pipeline could pose to communities?

The reality is there are only 8 individuals on the Navajo Nation who are trained in Hazardous Materials Operations and who could respond to a hydrogen explosion. Add in the fact that response times take longer the more remote you are, it not hard to conclude that the Navajo Nation is not well equipped to handle a possible pipeline incident as well as say a city like Phoenix could.

Aside from take a position via a resolution, TNA is also encouraging chapters to develop policy that would guide how companies engage with chapters and the people. From the Navajo Nation’s end there seems to be no systematic way in which grazing permits are deferred and how land users get compensated. Navajo Nation community benefits policy is too vague or weak. At the same time, Chapter Community Benefits policy is weak or non-existent. That said, the proposed pipeline will also carry lots of hydrogen to market and make the developer millions of dollars while Navajo only gets right of way payments.

That developer being Tallgrass Energy, a company that already generates millions of dollars each year, and who is owned by Blackstone Group, a company that generates billions of dollars each year, and Navajo people wonder why our socioeconomic status doesn’t seem to be improving because Navajo communities and Navajo people are routinely taken advantage of.

Mr. Freeland’s statement about Navajo Nation being at the table shows how unaware he is of the sequence of events that has led to this point. Along with doing community outreach and engagement on hydrogen, TNA also sent letters of inquire and express concerns to DOE, State Governors, Navajo Council, and former Navajo President Jonathan Nez about the need for more information and wanting to know if Navajo was “at the table” in the hydrogen discussion.

What TNA’s organizer was told was only two people knew about it, April Quinn, and Jonathan Nez, and that all information regarding the role Navajo was pursuing with hydrogen was confidential. Recently, TNA has spoken to two members of the Resources and Development Committee (RDC) of the 25th Navajo Nation Council, and they seem to know next to nothing about hydrogen projects and the development of regional hydrogen hubs despite Navajo being official partners on the Arizona side (SHINe) and NAPI being a partner on the New Mexico side (WISHH). So, it is still unclear who from the Navajo government is at the table negotiating hydrogen. What is clear is that communities and chapters are not being properly notified, given project details, meaning engagement is not happening and consent has not been given. Navajo leadership doesn’t seem to be able to intervene on behalf of their constituents to facilitate discussion between chapters and project developers, yet Council has made hydrogen apart of their New Mexico priorities (Leg 137-23) without understanding the full scope of the projects and the associated impacts, regrettably a continuation of how energy has been developed on the Navajo Nation.

Additionally, the last few sentences of Mr. Freeland’s letter were a bit confusing. First, he says our presentation to chapters is based on “manipulative data and one-sided arguments” but then he says TNA provided a “fact-based, unbiased educational forum.” Which is it? All the information that TNA has presented up to this point has been consistent and fact based, we don’t pull information out of thin air. In fact, if the public is interested TNA’s original seven-page hydrogen resolution which has all the citations and footnotes attached to it and our website (tonizhoniani.org) has links to our presentation. Mr. Freeland ends with “Let’s hope the courtesy extended to them (meaning TNA) will be offered in return.” We assume he means being invited to the NAPI Hydrogen Forum, which we would argue should be a given. If you want to have a well-rounded discussion on a topic you need to hear from all parties. Since this was the first time TNA has ever been invited to one of NAPI’s Hydrogen Forums, it’s safe to say most discussions are dominated by industry or their reps. Even at the chapter level, most of the time TNA gets cut off at chapter meetings, while tribal enterprises and outside companies get to talk as long as they want, usually going way beyond the allotted time.

Sometimes TNA is not even allowed to speak on our own resolutions, and people like Arvin Trujillo (currently holds the role of advisor to Pres. Nygren), are recognized to make comments on TNA resolutions before the vote is called, totally disregarding TNA, and denying us the ability to respond to questions and comments.

Most of the time, especially among Northern Agency chapters, the democratic process of chapter meetings has become so swayed by for profit interests and tribal enterprises that TNA can’t even get on the reports section of an agenda, so no, TNA does not share sentiments with Mr. Freeland’s last statement. Now, Tallgrass is saying not to listen to our presentation and the information we are providing is to incite fear and misinformation. It is truly troubling that TNA’s organizer who is a college educated person and has a degree in Environmental Science, who lives and works on the Navajo Nation should be regarded with distrust based on the claims of an outside non-Navajo company. Don’t we, the Navajo people, encourage our children to get a Western education and come back to help our Nation?
Finally, for old time sakes, Mr. Freeland blames TNA for the closure of the Navajo Generating Station (NGS) and Kayenta Mine operations which came to an end in 2019. While TNA would gladly accept credit for that, the reality is the market has and continues to dictate the cost and demand for coal.

In many published statements from both Salt River Project (which was one of six owners of NGS) and Central Arizona Project who have indicated that the cost of coal is the main reason for the decision to find a cheaper source of power and to close the coal fired power plant. Navajo Nation leadership has access to lawyers, experts and connection to federal officials who have this information firsthand.

If not, then someone in the Navajo Nation government is not doing their job and purposely keeping Navajo leadership in the dark of the latest market movements, thereby hindering Navajo leadership from protecting or even managing Navajo assets sustainably and appropriately. When the TNA team saw the market for coal falling rapidly in 2012, we alerted the Navajo Nation Council in several meetings, but instead the Navajo Nation signed the 2014 NGS Renewal Leases which ended up being one of the most deceptive moves against Navajo by the Salt River Project. Hence, no preparations were made to transition the Navajo Nation after NGS closed. So, the inability to plan for an economic recovery rest squarely on the Navajo Nation. Going forward if Navajo Nation leadership responds to Navajo’s economic problems in the same way you did 50 years ago, you will get the same results. Maybe it’s time to stop being led around by industry and start listening to the people.

Jessica Keetso, TNA community organizer
Hard Rock, Ariz.

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