Window Rock – President Russell Begaye today announced that prominent consumer advocate and environment activist Erin Brockovich will visit the Navajo Nation on September 8th. President Begaye and Ms. Brockovich will tour areas that have been devastated by the Gold King Mine spill that polluted the San Juan River.
“The Navajo Nation has been culturally and economically devastated by the impact of the Gold King Mine Spill and we need help to address this crisis,” said President Begaye. “We appreciate Ms. Brockovich’s willingness to visit our Nation to witness the damage first hand and help raise awareness about the plight of our people.”
Erin Brokovich stated “I am deeply concerned with the actions of the U.S. EPA and I stand by the Navajo Nation. Over 20 million gallons of contaminated water have poured out and are continuing to pour out from the Gold King Mine. This needs to stop, and the U.S. government needs to clean up the mess they caused.”
As a legal clerk in the early 1990s, Ms. Brockovich helped investigate elevated illness in the town of Hinckley, California that was tied to the pollutant hexavalent chromium in their groundwater. Residents later settled a case against Pacific Gas and Electric for $333 million, the largest settlement in a direct action lawsuit at the time.
Ms. Brockvoich’s efforts served as the inspiration for the blockbuster 2000 film Erin Brockovich starring Julia Roberts.
Schedule details regarding President Begaye and Ms. Brockovich’s tour will be released in the coming days.