Rangle: I AM VALERIE RANGLE, AUTHOR OF THE 2019 BOOK,  ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN NEW MEXICO COUNTING COUP.

AS WE APPROACH OUR SECOND YEAR WITHIN THE PANDEMIC, WE CANNOT  FORGET ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH INEQUALITY.

SYSTEMIC ISSUES OF INEQUALITY HAVE EXISTED LONG BEFORE THIS  PANDEMIC.

SYSTEMIC ISSUES OF EQUALITY THAT  HAVE GOTTEN WORSE THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.

ISSUES THAT WE MUST ALL WORK TO CHANGE.

THE GREATEST PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS THAT WAS EXACERBATED  DURING THE PANDEMIC WAS THE LACK OF WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN RURAL  COMMUNITIES.

RECENTLY, THE NAVAJO NATION PRESIDENT JONATHAN NEZ REPORTED  THAT 40% OF RESIDENTS LIVING WITHIN THE NAVAJO NATION DO NOT  HAVE RUNNING WATER OR SANITATION.

MANY ALSO LACK ELECTRICITY.

PLACES LIKE THE JICARILLA APACHE  NATIONS HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE BUT THE PIPES CONTAIN LEAD WHICH  CONTAMINATES THE WATER AND POSES SEVERE HEALTH RISKS TO INFANTS,  PREGNANT WOMEN AND ELDERLY.

DURING THE LOCKDOWN PERIOD OF  THE PANDEMIC, RESIDENTS COULDN'T TRAVEL TO BORDER TOWNS TO HAUL  BACK DRINKING WATER.

THE TRIBE WAS ALSO DENIED FEMA  ASSISTANCE BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

THAT IS BECAUSE THEIR WATER ISSUES PREDATE COVID-19.

SO, THEIR PROBLEMS WEREN'T CONSIDERED AN EMERGENCY.

IN THE COMMUNITY OF TOHAJIILEE,  LESS THAN AN HOURS DRIVE FROM THE STATE'S LARGEST CITY, WELLS  WERE DRY MOST OF THE YEAR.

AND PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE NEED  WATER PUMPED FROM ANOTHER SOURCE.

ALL OF THESE CRISES OVERLAP WITH COVID-19.

MCKINLEY AND SAN JUAN COUNTIES REPORTED THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF  COVID-19 CASES AND DEATHS IN THE STATE.

AND AT THE SAME TIME THERE ARE MANY RURAL TOWNS IN THESE  COUNTIES THAT LACK RUNNING WATER.

THEY ARE ALSO WITHIN A FOOD DESERT WITH FEW HEALTH CARE  FACILITIES.

THESE CRISES ALSO OVERLAP WITH ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION.

MCKINLEY AND SAN JUAN COUNTIES ARE ALSO DEALING WITH THE  60-YEAR LEGACY OF URANIUM CONTAMINATION IN WESTERN NEW  MEXICO WHICH HAS MADE WELLS TOXIC.

FOR DECADES, THE NAVAJO NATION AND ITS PEOPLE HAVE SUFFERED  DISPROPORTIONATELY.

MANY NAVAJO URANIUM WORKERS AND  THEIR FAMILIES HAVE BECOME ILL AND MANY HAVE DIED  FROM DISEASES ASSOCIATED BOTH WITH URANIUM WORK ITSELF AND  LIVING IN URANIUM MINES, MILLS AND WASTE DUMPS.

AND THE LARGEST URANIUM WASTE TAILING SPILL OCCURRED ON  JULY 16, 1979 NEAR NAVAJO COMMUNITY OF CHURCH ROCK.

A RECENT UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO STUDY FOUND THAT OVER ONE  QUARTER OF OVER 700 NAVAJO NATIONS THAT WERE TESTED HAD  HIGH CONCENTRATION OF URANIUM IN THEIR BODY.

OTHERS LIKE THE OGLALA SIOUX TRIBE OF SOUTH DAKOTA, THE UTE  MOUNTAIN UTE COMMUNITY OF THE WHITE MESA IN SOUTHEASTERN UTAH  AND THE HAVASUPAI TRIBE IN THE GRAND CANYON ALSO FACE THREATS  POSED BY URANIUM OPERATIONS.

IN THE COMING YEARS, I HOPE THAT RESIDENTS OF NEW MEXICO WORK TO  MAKE SURE THE LEGISLATURE PASSES A GREEN AMENDMENT THAT REQUIRES  THE STATE TO SAFEGUARD PEOPLE'S HEALTH AND NATURAL RESOURCES AND  FUTURE POLICIES AND PROJECTS ACROSS THE STATE.

AND INCLUDES ACCESS TO WATER AS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT.

I WOULD LIKE THE STATE AND TRIBAL LEADERS TO CREATE A  COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO ADDRESS URANIUM CONTAMINATIONS INSTEAD  OF PIECEMEAL INADEQUATE CLEAN-UP, AND STOP ACCEPTING THE  MOST HAZARDOUS WASTE AND TOXIC INDUSTRY.

THIS A MOMENT IN TIME WE CAN BUILD BACK BETTER TOGETHER.