In a landmark victory for the Navajo and Hopi people of Black Mesa, Arizona, a coal mining permit for their lands was revoked this month. After a hard-fought battle to block coal mining in their communities, a Department of Interior judge withdrew Peabody Coal Company’s Life of Mine permit, which had been granted in late December 2008. For more on this precedent-setting feat, see this brief article from The Understory.
In 2008, Greengrants funded Black Mesa Water Coalition with a $5,000 grant, recommended by our Global Advisor, Rainforest Action Network. The funds supported non-violent, direct action outside of the United States Office of Surface Mining (OSM) in Denver, CO to protest a permit to reopen the Black Mesa mine, run by Peabody Coal. Although the permit was granted in an eleventh hour decision by the Bush Administration, the direct action gained extensive media coverage of the issue and energized the Coalition to maintain the fight to protect their lands. They appealed the decision in January of 2009, and just received notice that the permit has been revoked and Peabody Coal is now out of business in Black Mesa.
Congratulations to Black Mesa Water Coalition and all the communities and activists that made this victory possible!