Meeting on transfer stations & solid waste Sept. 1 in TC

Louise Yellowman, Coconino County Supervisor District 5

Louise Yellowman, Coconino County Supervisor District 5

Ya'ah'teeh

There have been some rumors in the community that the Coconino County Board is going to close the Transfer Stations on the reservation. This is not true. Our 1995 joint powers agreement is still in place with Coconino County Board members and with the Navajo Nation, and there has not been talk from the county about closing.

The Navajo reservation transfer stations were originally located by an agreement between Coconino County and the Navajo Nation. Under the guidelines of the 1995 Joint Powers Agreement (JPA), Coconino County, the Navajo Nation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health Service, the Office of Navajo and other local agencies began working together and have been working together to establish a solid waste disposal system for reservation communities within Coconino County.

The meetings that have been held with Coconino County, Navajo Nation Solid Waste Management and Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. have always resulted in agreement. On July 1, 2003, the agreement was re-affirmed, with the Navajo Nation currently paying 50 percent of the cost.

The Solid Waste Division of the Coconino County Public Works Department operates 12 Transfer Stations in Coconino County. Seven of the Transfer Stations are located on the Navajo Nation: Cameron, Tonalea, Tuba City, Kaibeto, LeChee, Leupp and The Gap.

In the beginning, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors appropriated the startup cost, with Coconino County providing 70 percent and the other 30 percent from the Navajo Tribe.

Local chapters approved one acre of land with a fence where the transfer station was to be operated. The Navajo Nation paid the tipping fee, which meant residents of the Navajo Nation can use the reservation transfer stations free of charge, but a tipping fee of $3 per cubic yard is charged for off reservation residents in Coconino County.

Our agreement between the county and the DinŽ Nation provided that the DinŽ will eventually take over the solid waste operation. At that time, which is at least three to four more years from now, technical assistance will be provided by Coconino County and the Navajo Nation and these two parties will provide education to learn the business, the finance, and the operation of the solid waste program.

The transfer stations exist because of federal mandate. In 1990, Washington D.C. mandated that there would be no more burning of trash and illegal dumping. As board members we begged Washington for more time to get our transfer stations for Coconino County going. They gave the county a year, and we complied with that. However, I had to speak out and do what I could to get the reservation included.

In the next 3-5 years, in the future, right now, there has been no communication between the board of supervisors and the tribe to break our agreement and close the transfer stations.

But the Navajo Nation Community Development office indirectly is talking to the chapters about running their own transfer station.

Do you know what the cost of the transfer station is for each Chapter? Here is the breakdown for each Chapter.

The total approximate cost is close to $1 million a year.

Let's attend the meeting for the transfer stations and solid waste, which will be held soon at the Tuba City Chapter on Thursday, Sept. 1 at 10 a.m.

See you there,

Hag'oon'ee

(Louise Yellowman is Coconino County of Supervisor for District 5, which includes portions of the Navajo and Hopi Reservation.)

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