More than a week after an oil spill on agricultural land near Shiprock, New Mexico, some Navajo residents in the area say they have concerns about the pace and scale of the environmental cleanup.
A pipeline operated by a subsidiary of Navajo Nation Oil and Gas breached on December 11 near a school bus stop outside town, causing crude oil to flow across land used to graze cattle and into gullies that lead to the San Juan River.
Some Navajo families who live next to the spill are asking for transparency from tribal officials about the severity of the accident and their plans for remediation.
Beverly Maxwell is a member of the Navajo Nation and a resident whose land was impacted.
“If you don't have clean water, if you don't have clean land, you don't have clean air – you know, what's more important than that?” said Maxwell.
After heavy rains later in the week, Maxwell says she saw oil flowing into a canal that eventually leads to nearby farms.
More coverage of the Shiprock oil spill can be found here.
