Hydrogen: Too Dangerous, Too Risky
Hydrogen, touted as a move towards ‘clean energy,’ is being proposed on the Navajo Nation. Developers approached former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez in 2021 with the promise of delivering hydrogen projects and economic prosperity. These projects involve producing blue hydrogen and constructing a 200+ mile-long hydrogen pipeline to transport it through the reservation to benefit cities and communities off the reservation. This proposal poses many potential risks and negative impacts for Navajo and other Southwest communities which they need to consider before committing to hydrogen and blindly following the hydrogen hype.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
- What is hydrogen?
- Hydrogen is the simplest and lightest element that is odorless, colorless, and tasteless. It is the most abundant element in the universe, in its gaseous form hydrogen is also a flammable gas and due to its small molecular size is prone to leakage. Most of the hydrogen we use today is called blue hydrogen which is produced through a process called Steam Methane Reforming.
- What does it have to do with the Navajo Nation?
- The Navajo Nation officially opened the door for hydrogen with President Jonathan Nez’s Háyoołkááł Proclamation that was signed in April of 2019. The proclamation stated fostering clean energy as part of the Navajo Nation’s economic vision, this included hydrogen. Since 2021, numerous hydrogen projects have popped up, one of them is a proposed 230-mile hydrogen pipeline. The pipeline developer is GreenView, a subsidiary of Tallgrass Energy.
- Where is the pipeline route?
- The proposed route on the Navajo Nation starts at Hogback, NM and ends at Cameron, AZ. The 13-chapter communities in-between are:
- Hogback, NM
- Gadii’ahi/To’Koi, NM
- Teec Nos Pos, AZ
- Red Mesa, AZ
- Sweetwater, AZ
- Mexican Water, AZ/UT
- Dennehotso, AZ
- Kayenta, AZ
- Shonto, AZ
- Tonalea, AZ
- Tuba City, AZ
- Coalmine Canyon, AZ
- Cameron, AZ.
- The proposed route on the Navajo Nation starts at Hogback, NM and ends at Cameron, AZ. The 13-chapter communities in-between are:
- Why is blue hydrogen not considered “clean energy”?
- The feedstock for blue hydrogen is methane gas. The production of blue hydrogen relies entirely on the continuation and even the expansion of the fossil fuel industry.
Take Action:
Our organization, Tó Nizhóní Ání (TNA), has issued this Public Notice flyer for grazing permittees and others in response to several reports that we’ve received from impacted grazing permit holders along the proposed hydrogen pipeline route regarding negative and/or harassing behavior by the hydrogen developers. The flyer contains information on ways to report these incidents to the Navajo Nation Land Department as well as to their respective Navajo Police Department, in cases of harassment. Please feel free to share this flyer with grazing permit holders and their families in the hydrogen pipeline route.
Citations:
- What is Hydrogen?
- www.google.com; simple definition of hydrogen
- https://www.energypolicy.columbia.edu/publications/hydrogen-fact-sheet-production-of-low-carbon-hydrogen/
- What does it have to do with the Navajo Nation?
- Where is the pipeline route?
- Why is blue hydrogen not “clean energy”?
Resources:
- Tó Nizhóní Ání Hydrogen Presentation
- Spotlight on Climate: Pipeline Through Navajo Perpetuates Environmental Injustice
Navajo Language Explanations:
Linked below are recording explanations of hydrogen and the hydrogen pipeline in the Navajo (Diné) Language.
Disclaimer:
This is an ongoing issue; we will update this landing page with more information if necessary.
For more information about this issue, please contact [email protected]
