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Industry wants new pipeline on Navajo land scarred by decades of fossil fuel extraction

Developers tout hydrogen as a clean energy source; Navajo opponents say it is another way outsiders will profit by harming their environment and health. Jerry Redfern reports for Capital & Main.

In a nutshell:

With over a billion dollars proposed for the Western Interstate Hydrogen Hub (aptly named WISSH) project, New Mexico governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham(D), has made the hydrogen hub a priority for her administration—especially in a part of the state where her liberal persuasions are widely disparaged. Meanwhile the Navajo Nation, recovering from the economic shock of coal phaseout is faced with a choice—hitch onto the hydrogen train or wait for the next opportunity? And when will that opportunity be and where will it come from? If it is to be hydrogen, what are the tradeoffs?

Key quote:

On the Navajo Nation, climate change and fossil fuel development aren’t mental exercises. “It’s real for us,” she says.

Big picture:

Fossil fuel wants to stay in the game. The Navajo Nation wants jobs and cash flow to fill the void left by the end of coal mining and coal-fired power. The governor of New Mexico would like to thread the needle between fossil fuel constituents and environmental supporters. "Green" hydrogen production would require a lot of water in a region where there is not enough to go around. "Blue" hydrogen taps into the natural gas abundance of the area but given New Mexico's poor track record with methane leaks and abandoned oil and gas wells doesn't bode well.

Read the full report in Capital & Main.

capitalandmain.com

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Tribes exit pipeline negotiations in Michigan over lack of consultation

Seven Indigenous nations in Michigan have walked away from federal talks over a proposed oil pipeline tunnel, citing a lack of meaningful engagement and treaty violations.

Izzy Ross reports for Grist and Interlochen Public Radio.

In short:

The tribes oppose Enbridge’s Line 5 tunnel project, which would replace part of a 72-year-old pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac, a critical freshwater corridor between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
Their withdrawal follows the Army Corps of Engineers’ move to fast-track permitting under President Trump’s energy emergency order, which tribes say dismisses their environmental and legal concerns.
Tribal leaders and legal advocates argue that the project threatens water resources and violates both U.S. treaty obligations and international law requiring Indigenous consent.

Key quote:

“Tribal Nations are no longer willing to expend their time and resources as Cooperating Agencies just so their participation may be used by the Corps to lend credibility to a flawed [Environmental Impact Statement] process and document.”

— Letter from seven Indigenous nations to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Why this matters:

Buried beneath the Straits of Mackinac, where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron converge, Line 5 has become a flashpoint in the battle over fossil fuel infrastructure, Indigenous sovereignty, and environmental protection. The aging oil and gas pipeline — operated by Canadian energy giant Enbridge — moves millions of gallons of crude and natural gas liquids daily through a region that holds 20% of the planet’s surface freshwater. A proposed tunnel to house a replacement segment beneath the lakebed has drawn fierce opposition from tribal nations, who warn it risks catastrophic spills and continued desecration of sacred territory.

Read the Full Article on

grist.org

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