For Immediate Release:
Thursday, October 1, 2026
Contact:
- Nicole Horseherder, Executive Director, Tó Nizhóní Ání, nicole@tonizhoniani.org
- Mike Eisenfield, San Juan Citizen Alliance, mike@sanjuancitizens.org
Groups appeal largest coal mine ever permitted in the US, calling its approval on Navajo land ‘disturbing’ in light of coal’s downward economic spiral
FARMINGTON, N.M. – Navajo and New Mexico grassroots community groups have appealed a federal permit for the expansion of a coal mine on the Navajo Nation that would dig up more than 500 million tons over the next 110 years – the largest coal mine ever permitted in the United States – despite the fact the mining company’s only customer is scheduled to retire in the next decade.
The appeal by Navajo community group Tó Nizhóní Ání (TNA) and Four Corners-based San Juan Citizens Alliance (SJCA) asks the U.S. Dept. of the Interior to vacate the permit issued by the Federal Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement for the so-called No Name Mine.
“It’s disturbing that a federal agency could fast-track a project of this size and scope with almost no credible review, analysis or public consultation,” said Nicole Horseherder, Tó Nizhóní Ání’s executive director. “This permit continues a legacy of corporate interests abusing our resources, tearing up our land, depleting our water and displacing Navajo citizens. Worse still, it’s being done by a Navajo enterprise.”
The appeal identifies a litany of problems with the permit, which was issued in late August, including the century-long timeframe and the amount of coal to be mined. The mine is operated by Navajo Transitional Energy Co., whose only customer is the 57-year-old coal-burning Four Corners Power Plant located adjacent to the mine. Arizona Public Service, which operates the plant and is the majority owner, has said it will close the coal plant no later than 2038. There are no established rail lines connecting the mine to outside markets, and NTEC’s proposal has no information on where or how it would sell coal past 2038. Currently, the Four Corners plant burns less than 5 million tons of coal per year.
“The whole concept for the mine is built on pure speculation,” said Mike Eisenfeld, SJCA’s energy program director and a resident of Farmington who lives about 20 miles from the mine and power plant. “There’s no market for this coal, and coal in general is no longer an economic source of energy. So how can a federal agency that’s legitimately doing its job rubber-stamp a proposal for such a massive operation? It’s a thoroughly flawed review and makes no sense at all.”
NTEC’s application and the permit issued by OSMRE also states that tribal residents living in the area will have to be relocated. The permit identifies risks of groundwater supply damage and stream diversion through the mine area, releasing unsafe levels of several pollutants into surface waters. And it does not make it clear that NTEC will provide sufficient bonding to guarantee proper cleanup.
The permitting process was deficient, as OSMRE held only one public meeting – and that was before multiple revisions to the proposal were made. The sole public meeting in late January provided no opportunity to comment on the environmental review or the agency’s plan to address numerous environmental impacts.
“It’s a horrible decision because it increases risk to our sovereignty, next generations, and our land,” said Kaya Dickson, community organizer with Tó Nizhóní Ání. “It’s another continued pattern of disregard for our communities and exploitation of indigenous peoples.”
Dickson also pointed out that the Burnham chapter of the Navajo Nation, where the mine would be located, passed a resolution opposing the mine in February 2026.
A proposal of this scope typically takes years to evaluate in order to minimize impacts on land and water and protect surrounding communities and peoples. This would include creating provisions for cleanup after mining ends. Under the Trump administration, the proposal was aimlessly fast-tracked, sloppy, and completed in less than half a year.
NTEC is a stand-alone corporate enterprise of the Navajo Nation, yet there is not a single Navajo or tribal representative on the company’s nine-member executive team. NTEC’s headquarters are in Broomfield, Colo., just outside Denver.
A copy of the full appeal and supporting exhibits is available online at: https://bit.ly/NoNameAppeal.
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Tó Nizhóní Ání, which translates as “Sacred Water Speaks,” is a Diné-led nonprofit organization established in 2001 from the Black Mesa region. Tó Nizhóní Ání is rooted in water protection and works to bring power back to our Diné communities impacted by coal while leading community transition away from fossil fuels. Tó bee iiná. Water is life.
San Juan Citizens Alliance advocates for clean air, pure water, and healthy lands and wildlife – the foundations of resilient communities, ecosystems and economies in the San Juan Basin.
