A
MEMORIAL
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.