The treated sewage has been proven to contain contaminants such as pharmaceuticals and hormones. Currently this matter is subject of a lawsuit asserting that the Forest Service, who manages the Peaks as public lands, did not test or seriously consider impacts if humans ingest the fake snow.
Snowbowl started development in May even though the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has yet to make a decision on the current case.

Development of the pipeline was temporarily halted on June 16th when six individuals locked themselves inside the pipeline trench and to construction equipment.
After holding off construction for nearly 5 hours, the direct action ended with the arrests of those involved.

The San Francisco Peaks are held holy by more than 13 Indigenous Nations.

Former Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. made the point clear when the Forest Service initially approved the development in 2004, “When you build on [The Peaks], when you talk about putting wastewater on it, you are desecrating our life. You are chipping away at our way of life and committing genocide”

Please read the statement from the six protesters who literally placed themselves in the trenches: www.indigenousaction.org/statement-from-6-protesters-arrested-for-stopping-snowbowl-pipeline/

*Photo credits: survivalsolidarity.wordpress.com & Dawn Dyer

For Immediate Release, June 20, 2011

Contact: Randy Serraglio, (520) 784-1504

1 Million Acres of Grand Canyon Watershed Protected From Uranium Mining

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK— Interior Secretary Ken Salazar extended interim protections from uranium mining today for Grand Canyon’s 1-million-acre watershed through the end of 2011; the secretary also announced his support for a 20-year mineral withdrawal across the same area. Both protections ban new claims and block new mining on existing, unproven claims.

The announcement quells fears that a two-year mining prohibition issued by Salazar in July 2009 would expire, opening the door to new mining claims and resulting mine development. Public lands around Grand Canyon National Park have been ground zero for new uranium mining that threatens to industrialize iconic wildlands and permanently pollute aquifers feeding Grand Canyons springs and streams.

“The world would never forgive the permanent pollution of Grand Canyon’s precious aquifers and springs or the industrialization of its surrounding wildlands,” said Randy Serraglio of the Center for Biological Diversity. “The only sure way to prevent pollution of the Grand Canyon is to prevent uranium mining, and today’s action makes important progress toward that goal.”

Salazar today directed the Bureau of Land Management to designate the withdrawal of the full 1-million-acre watershed from new mining claims as its preferred alternative in its ongoing environmental analysis of the issue, scheduled to be released in the fall.

“This is good news for the Grand Canyon, but we are disappointed that Secretary Salazar continues to show such enthusiasm for the mining of existing claims,” said Serraglio. “We hope the ‘caution, wisdom and science’ cited by the secretary as being so important in managing this precious area will lead to strong decisions to protect it from further pollution by uranium mining.”

Uranium pollution already plagues the Grand Canyon region. Proposals for new mining have prompted protests, litigation and proposed legislation. Scientists, tribal and local governments, and businesses have voiced opposition to new mining operations. Dozens of new mines threaten to industrialize stunning and often sacred wildlands, destroy wildlife habitat and permanently pollute or deplete aquifers feeding Grand Canyon’s biologically rich springs.

The segregation and withdrawal would prohibit new mining claims and mining on claims without “valid existing rights” to mine. Several claims within the withdrawal area that predate the 2009 segregation order will be grandfathered in; those are still vulnerable to mining.

In 2009 the Bureau of Land Management allowed mining to resume at the Arizona 1 mine within the withdrawal area and immediately north of Grand Canyon without first updating 1980s-era environmental reviews. The Havasupai Tribe, the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, the Center, Sierra Club and Grand Canyon Trust challenged that mine’s reopening in federal court — one of four lawsuits brought by the Center relating to uranium mining in the region since 2008. That suit is ongoing.

“Grand Canyon and the surrounding areas are some of the most recognized and prized landscapes in the United States. Allowing further uranium mining would cause untold damage and leave future generations asking why we didn’t do more to stop it,” Serraglio said. “That’s why we’ll keep defending the Grand Canyon and working to reform the antiquated 1872 mining law so that federal agencies finally have clear authority to deny mining proposals that threaten irretrievable damage to our public lands.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday June 19, 2011
Contact: Beth Lavely protectpeaks@gmail.com

Protest Halts Snowbowl Waste water Pipeline Construction
End Destruction and Desecration of Holy San Francisco Peaks

“We took every possible measure to ensure our safety.  Our actions were taken to safeguard Indigenous Peoples’ cultural survival, our community’s health and this sensitive mountain ecosystem.  Those who cut us out endangered our well being ignoring the screams to stop.  They treated our bodies the way they’re treating this holy mountain. If they had their way, we wouldn’t even exist.  There is more danger in doing nothing. To idly stand by and allow this destruction and desecration is to allow cultural genocide”, said the other young Dine’ woman who chose to lock down.

“The police’s use of excessive force was in complete disregard for my safety.  They pulled at my arms and forced my body and head further into the machine, all the while using heavy duty power saws within inches of my hand,” said Evan Hawbaker.

“Our only offense was resistance; resistance of the implications that’s Snowbowl’s development exudes. The police’s defense was to implement tactics of fear to reach a goal, essentially to continue construction as soon as possible. Our safety was prioritized second to Snowbowl’s demands.  I was one of the demonstrators in the trench, locked at the neck with a partner. I was not aggressive. My lock was sawed through, inches away from both of our heads, secured solely and recklessly by the hands of a deputy. During the process, we were repeatedly asked to chant to reaffirm our consciousness. The police’s response was hasty, taking about ten minutes in total–it was dehumanizing,” said Hailey Sherwood, one of the last protester to be cut out.

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Credits included in titles.
Photographs courtesy of Kyle Boggs of  The Noise & Beth Lavely

*PROTECT THE PEAKS – STOP DESTRUCTION & DESECRATION NOW!*

Today we take direct action to stop further desecration and destruction of
the Holy San Francisco Peaks. We stand with our ancestors, with allies and
with those who also choose to embrace diverse tactics to safeguard
Indigenous People’s cultural survival, our community’s health, and this
sensitive mountain ecosystem.

On May 25th 2011, sanctioned by the US Forest Service, owners of Arizona
Snowbowl began further destruction and desecration of the Holy San Francisco
Peaks. Snowbowl’s hired work crews have laid over a mile and a half of the
planned 14.8 mile wastewater pipeline. They have cut a six foot wide and six
foot deep gash into the Holy Mountain.

Although a current legal battle is under appeal, Snowbowl owners have chosen
to undermine judicial process by rushing to construct the pipeline. Not only
do they disregard culture, environment, and our children’s health, they have
proven that they are criminals beyond reproach.

Four weeks of desecration has already occurred. Too much has already been
taken.  Today, tomorrow and for a healthy future, we say “enough!”

As we take action, we look to the East and see Bear Butte facing
desecration, Mt. Taylor facing further uranium mining; to the South, Mt.
Graham desecrated, South Mountain threatened, the US/Mexico border severing
Indigenous communities from sacred places; to the West, inspiring resistance
at Sogorea Te, Moana Keya facing desecration; to the North, Mt. Tenabo,
Grand Canyon, Black Mesa, and so many more… our homelands and our culture
under assault.

We thought that the USDA, heads of the Forest Service, had meant it when
they initiated nationwide listening sessions to protect sacred places. If
the process was meaningful, we would not have to take action today.

More than 13 Indigenous Nations hold the Peaks Holy. The question has been
asked yet we hear no response, “what part of sacred don’t you understand?”

For hundreds of years resistance to colonialism, slavery, & destruction of
Mother Earth has existed and continues here in what we now call Arizona.

The United States recently moved to join the United Nations Declaration on
the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, evidently the US has not currently
observed and acted upon this declaration, otherwise we would not be taking
action today. This document informs our action, we also assert that UNDRIP
supports the basis for our action.

Article 11, 1: Indigenous peoples have the right to practice and revitalize
their cultural traditions and
customs. This includes the right to maintain, protect and develop the past,
present and future manifestations of their cultures, such as archaeological
and historical sites, artifacts, designs, ceremonies, technologies and
visual and performing arts and literature.

“Article 11, 2: States shall provide redress through effective mechanisms,
which may include restitution,
developed in conjunction with indigenous peoples, with respect to their
cultural, intellectual, religious and spiritual property taken without their
free, prior and informed consent or in violation of their laws, traditions
and customs.”

“Article 12, 1: Indigenous peoples have the right to manifest, practice,
develop and teach their spiritual and religious traditions, customs and
ceremonies; the right to maintain, protect, and have access in privacy to
their religious and cultural sites; the right to the use and control of
their ceremonial objects; and the right to the repatriation of their human
remains.”

“Article 25: Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and strengthen
their distinctive spiritual
relationship with their traditionally owned or otherwise occupied and used
lands, territories, waters and coastal seas and other resources and to
uphold their responsibilities to future generations in this regard.”

For nearly 4 decades, resistance to desecration and destruction of the Peaks
has been sustained.  Prayer vigils, petitions, lobbying, protests, and many
diverse tactics have been embraced.  Historic court battles have been
fought.

We continue today resisting Snowbowl’s plan to spray millions of gallons of
wastewater snow, which is filled with cancer causing and other harmful
contaminants, as well as clear-cut over 30,000 trees. The Peaks are a
pristine and beautiful place, a fragile ecosystem, and home to rare and
endangered species of plants and animals.

Our action is a prayer.

We invite those of you who could not join us today and who believe in the
protection of culture, the environment and community health to resist
destruction and desecration of the Peaks:

- Join us and others in physically stopping all Snowbowl development!

- Honor and defend Indigenous Peoples’ inherent right to protect Sacred
Places

- Resist colonialism and capitalism! Embrace diverse tactics to end
Snowbowl’s and all corporate greed

- Demand USDA end Snowbowl’s Special Use Permit

- Demand that the City of Flagstaff Mayor and Council find a way out of
their contract to sell wastewater to Snowbowl

- Demand that Arizona Department of Environmental Quality change its
permission allowing wastewater to be used for snowmaking.

— Protect the Peaks! –