>> Laura: MARIO ATENCIO.

WELCOME, THANKS FOR JOINING ME.

>> Atencio: THANK YOU.

>> Laura: SO CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE AREA WHERE YOUR FAMILY HAS AN ALLOTMENT OR LAND IN NORTH WESTERN NEW MEXICO?

>> Atencio: MY FAMILY, FIRST OFF, I AM NAVAJO.

MY FAMILY IS FROM COUNSELOR, NEW MEXICO.

>> Laura: HOW HAS THAT LANDSCAPE IN YOUR EXPERIENCE AND YOUR FAMILY'S EXPERIENCE BEEN IMPACTED BY OIL AND GAS DRILLING ESPECIALLY LIKE IN THE LAST DECADE OR SO?

>> Atencio: IT IS HIGHLY IMPACTFUL.

IN FEBRUARY, 2019 THEY SPILLED, THE OIL COMPANIES THROUGH TECHNICAL ERRORS, SPILLED ABOUT ONE THOUSAND BARRELS WHICH IS OVER 50,000 GALLONS OF TOXIC WASTEWATER AND OIL INTO -- ON TO OUR LANDS AND THE SUBSEQUENT LAB ANALYSIS SAYS THAT THE AQUIFER HAS BEEN CONTAMINATED, THE GROUNDWATER.

AND THAT IS PRETTY INFURIATING.

WE, MY FAMILY, WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED BY ANYBODY.

A RESEARCHER THAT WORKS IN THE REGION SAYS THIS BIG OLE SPILL HAPPENED.

LIKE, REALLY?

WHERE?

AND THEN OUR GROUP, THE RIO CHACO, WENT OUT THERE AND THEY WENT TO ACTUALLY WHERE MY DAD'S LAND IS AND FOR A MILE DOWN THE WASH INTO THE ESCAVADA WHICH FLOWS INTO CHACO CANYON, THAT TRIBUTARY WASH, ALL THAT OIL AND TOXIC WASTE DUMPED IN THERE.

>> Laura: I THINK A FEW -- A FEW DAYS AFTER THAT SPILL THERE WAS ALSO AN EXPLOSION AND A FIRE AT ANOTHER WELL NEARBY.

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THAT?

>> Atencio: EVEN NOW WE DON'T KNOW.

THERE HAS BEEN NO REAL REPORTS, ONLY THROUGH A REPORTER YEARS LATER WERE WE EVEN MADE AWARE OF ANOTHER EXPLOSION.

MY FAMILY, MY UNCLE, HE HEARD IT.

SOUNDED LIKE DYNAMITE HE SAID.

AND I ONLY KNEW THAT AFTER IT WAS REPORTED -- THEY DID INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING ON WHAT HAPPENED OUT THERE.

>> Laura: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE HEALTH IMPACTS THAT YOU SEE OR HEAR ABOUT FROM PEOPLE HAVING TO LIVE SO CLOSE TO THESE, LIKE, INCREASINGLY INDUSTRIALIZED LANDSCAPES?

>> Atencio: WHAT WE SEE IN OUR HEALTH ANALYSIS, THERE WAS A SURVEY DONE, 80% OF PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING HEADACHES, BODY ACHES, LIKE, RASHES.

ONE ANECDOTAL STORY IS THAT A LOT LEADER FOR THE COUNSELOR'S COMMUNITY, THE TRAPPER COMMUNITY, HE IS A BUS DRIVER FOR THE LITTLE ONES.

AND THE STORY HE TOLD IN A PUBLIC MEETING WAS THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN HE LOOKED AND HE SAW THAT ALL THE YOUNG KIDS WERE ALL USING INHALERS.

LIKE ASTHMA.

HE SAID THAT SCARED HIM AND AROUND THE LYBROOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BUS DRIVER, AROUND IT THERE ARE 14 WELLS THAT SURROUND LYBROOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

SO THAT IS A STORY WE ARE VERY FOCUSED ON.

THOSE ANECDOTAL STORIES.

BUT WE DID AN ANALYSIS AND SURVEY FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THERE IS IMPACTS, SYMPTOMS OF EXPOSURE TO CERTAIN CHEMICALS.

>> Laura: DINE CARE AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE INCREASED OIL AND GAS DRILLING FOR OVER A DECADE, I KNOW.

HAS THERE BEEN ANY SORT OF PROGRESS IN WORKING WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR COMPANIES TO SORT OF REIN IN SOME OF THAT DEVELOPMENT OR MAKE IT SAFER OR CLEANER?

>> Atencio: YES.

DINE CARE, WHO I WORK FOR, AS THE GREATER CHACO ORGANIZER IS CENTERING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, SO WE HAVE BEEN ENGAGING IN THE FEDERAL PROCESS TO LOOK AT REGIONAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLANS AND TO SAY, HEY, OUR COMMUNITIES ARE IDENTIFIED IN THOSE PLANS AS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES.

WHERE IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ANALYSIS AND HOW ARE YOU GOING TO USE THOSE GUIDANCE, THE FINAL GUIDANCE, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, HOW ARE YOU USING THAT TO ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITIES?

WHEN AND WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO START TALKING ABOUT THE PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACTS OF OIL AND GAS DRILLING?

WE HAVE HAD A SCIENCE HEALTH IMPACT ANALYSIS DONE THROUGH THE CDC AND THERE IS SIGNIFICANT CULTURAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACTS HAPPENING OUT THERE.

WHAT WE ARE DOING IS THE CENTER OF THAT DISCUSSION.

ANYWHERE WE CAN, IT IS NOT TALK ABOUT MONEY, BUT TALK ABOUT CLEAN AIR AND CLEAN WATER AND PROTECTION.

HOW IS THE GOVERNMENT AND HOW ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE COMMUNITIES, HOW ARE THEY ENGAGED.

SO THAT IS WHAT WE ARE DOING.

AND DEVELOPMENT, I MEAN, THAT IS SECONDARY BUT WE ARE TRYING TO BE THE MAIN ADVOCATES FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE OF PEOPLES WHICH IS THE VERY YOUNG AND THE VERY OLD.

>> Laura: THE STATE HAS, YOU KNOW, MOVED FORWARD WITH CERTAIN TYPES OF REGULATIONS AND CONVERSATIONS AND THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS CERTAINLY TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT AREA AND PROTECTING THAT AREA.

DO YOU SEE EITHER ON THE STATE LEVEL OR FEDERAL LEVEL, DO YOU SEE ANY ACTION TOWARDS IMPROVEMENTS YET?

OR AT ALL?

>> Atencio: TO BE TRUTHFUL, IT IS STATUS QUO STILL.

BIDEN SAYS, YOU KNOW, THEY PROMISE TO STOP OIL AND GAS DRILLING ON PUBLIC LANDS BUT THE FEDERAL COURT SYSTEM HAS RULED AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT.

WE ARE ASKING FOR SOME BASIC LEVEL FORBEARANCE OF SAYING, THIS IS PART OF EXECUTIVE ORDER, CAN YOU PLEASE STOP PERMITTING LEASES OUT THERE.

THE LOCAL FEDERAL AGENCY JUST KEEPS ALLOWING PERMITS TO GO THROUGH.

SO, THAT IS HARD TO SWALLOW BUT THE GOVERNMENT IS STARTING HONORING CHACO INITIATIVE.

AND IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE A NEW PROCESS AND IT IS SUPPOSED TO ENGAGE A LOT OF THE PERMIT STAKEHOLDERS.

AND WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO SAY -- AND FOCUS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN THESE DISCUSSIONS BECAUSE CREATING MORE LINES ON A MAP AND SAYING THIS IS A SAFE ZONE, WHERE THERE ARE NO MORE PERMITS AND GO AHEAD AND DUMP IT ON THESE COMMUNITIES, THAT IS INADVERTENTLY CREATING ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM, ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICES, GO AHEAD AND DUMP IT ON THE NAVAJOS THAT LIVE AT MILE 11.

THROUGH THE LAST ADMINISTRATION, IT WAS -- THERE HAS BEEN A WHOLE INCREDIBLE REVOLUTION OF OIL AND GAS.

UNITED STATES, IT IS ALMOST LAUGHABLE THAT IT IS GOING TO BE THE WORLD'S LARGEST PRODUCER OF OIL.

AND NOW IT IS.

THE STATE IS IN LOVE WITH THE OIL MONEY.

SO, THERE IS THREATS EVERYWHERE AND PEOPLE WANT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW -- STATE GOVERNMENT, TRIBAL GOVERNMENT, THEY ALL SEE THE MONEY AND THEY ALL WANT THAT PIECE OF THE PIE AND WE GET OVERRUN BY THAT.

>> Laura: WHAT DO YOU WISH THAT ALL NEW MEXICANS BETTER UNDERSTOOD ABOUT THE CHOICES THAT WE MAKE AND HOW THEY AFFECT COMMUNITIES?

>> Atencio: NUEVO MEXICANOS CAN NO LONGER FEIGN IGNORANCE WHEN OIL AND GAS IS CAUSING BIG DESTRUCTION TO THE LANDSCAPE, TO THE LAND, AIR, THE WATER, THE SACRED.

IT BEHOOVES NEW MEXICANS TO SAY, HEY, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.

THE POWER IS IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO PROTECT THE WATER.

LEADING TO THE GREAT FOREST FIRES, THE HERITAGE OF THE PEOPLE.

IT IS NOT JUST THE HERITAGE BUT IT IS THE LIVING WHOLE LANDSCAPE.

YOU SEE IT IS VERY INCREDIBLE.

THAT IS NEW MEXICO.

AND THE PEOPLE HAVE TO TALK WITH THEIR LOCAL LEADERS AND ADVOCATES AND SAY WE NEED TO REALLY RETHINK HOW OUR WHOLE ECONOMY IS BASED.

AND THERE IS MOVES AND THERE IS POLITICAL INITIATIVES OUT THERE TO DO THAT.

SO, THE PEOPLE HAVE TO LOOK AT AND SEE WHAT THEY REALLY VALUE.

DO THEY VALUE THE LANDSCAPE?

DO THEY VALUE CULTURE?

DO THEY VALUE BEING -- VALUE HUMANS?

OR DO WE JUST VALUE MONEY?

AND I THINK THAT IS A BIG -- I THINK NEW MEXICANS REALLY NEED TO CONSIDER THAT QUESTION DEEPLY.

>> Laura: MARIO ATENCIO, THANK YOU FOR TALKING WITH ME TODAY.

>> Atencio: THANK YOU.