46th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2003

REQUESTING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO COORDINATE A REUSE INVENTORY AND ASSESSMENT OF THE PITTSBURG AND MIDWAY COAL MINING COMPANY IN MCKINLEY COUNTY.

WHEREAS, the Pittsburg and Midway coal mining company, also known as P and M, has operated in McKinley county for over forty years, providing jobs to more than three hundred fifty people at its peak employment and income in the form of taxes or royalties to McKinley county, the Navajo Nation and the state of New Mexico; and

WHEREAS, P and M is planning to cease operations at its McKinley county mine in 2008; and

WHEREAS, the loss to the economies of McKinley county and the Navajo Nation and the loss of income to employees at the mine will be tremendous; and

WHEREAS, P and M leased or owned over twenty-seven thousand acres of land in McKinley county and the infrastructure and facilities will remain after P and M leaves; and

WHEREAS, the site of the mine and its infrastructure, such as a railroad spur, water rights and effluent water, land, structures, roads and many other features can be enormous assets on which to base a plan for cooperative development and continued use of those assets; and

WHEREAS, the quality of the development that will occur on the P and M site is of interest to the state, the Navajo Nation and its chapters in the immediate area of the site, McKinley county and the northwest New Mexico council of governments; and

WHEREAS, it is important to ensure that private or public development of the site meets the public needs of the community surrounding the site and is approved by the Navajo Nation; and

WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of all people, governments and private entities concerned that an appropriate and farsighted plan be developed as soon as possible that will maximize use and return on the assets available at the P and M site so that implementation can begin as soon as the mine site is vacated by P and M;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the economic development department take the lead for the state in coordinating with the Navajo Nation an assessment of the assets of the P and M site that will be available for future use, being certain to involve the northwest New Mexico council of governments, the Navajo Nation economic development division, the Navajo chapters of Tsa-Ya-Toh, Twin Lakes and Fort Defiance, as well as other chapters that will feel the impact of the mine closure, such as Manuelito, Rock Springs and Mexican Springs, the city of Gallup, McKinley county and any other stakeholders that should be at the table to provide vision and help make decisions about the future use of the land and facilities that P and M now controls; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that following the assessment of current assets, the economic development department be requested again to take the lead for the state in convening a group, including the stakeholders already identified and interested private parties, that will plan the use of the P and M site for the future benefit of the surrounding communities; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of economic development, the president of the Navajo Nation, the Navajo Nation economic development division, the chapters of Fort Defiance, Tsa-Ya-Toh, Twin Lakes, Manuelito, Mexican Springs and Rock Springs, the northwest New Mexico council of governments, McKinley county and the city of Gallup.