Navajo Transitional Energy Company Marks the First-Ever Return of Land Leased for Coal Mining Back to the Navajo Nation
The land was originally leased from the Navajo Nation to Utah Mining and Construction Company in 1957 for mining coal. The 2,000+ acre parcel being returned today was where mining operations first commenced over 60 years ago. Active mining operations ended many years ago and beginning in 2004, the Nenahnezad Chapter requested the return of the land from BHP Billiton, who owned the mine at the time. However, disagreements over the applicable reclamation standards to be used on the land stalled efforts between agencies for approval of the surrender. Some of the lands were considered 'pre-law,' meaning that there were no reclamation standards in place when active mining was completed. Interim Guidelines governed other parts of the land, while the rest remained undisturbed.
Both the Navajo Nation and the Nenahnezad Chapter asked NTEC to make the return of this parcel of land a priority at the time NTEC took over Navajo Mine in 2013. As a Navajo-owned company, NTEC is committed to restoring mined lands for our communities, and protecting the land, water, air, and wildlife. At that time, only limited reclamation work had been done on the pre-law lands, and the work that had been done was found to be 'inconsistent and often unacceptable' by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. To ensure the land was reclaimed and returned to the Nation as intended, NTEC brought together representatives from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Navajo Nation Minerals Department, and Nenahnezad Chapter to review the reclamation status up to that point.
To eliminate any disagreements related to reclamation standards, NTEC took the unprecedented step of volunteering to reclaim the entire parcel to the interim reclamation standard - regardless of when the parcel had been mined and consistent with the reclamation standard of surrounding lands. This meant that NTEC had to commit considerable expense, time, and resources to re-start the entire reclamation process. To meet the interim reclamation standards, NTEC had to extensively regrade the entire parcel and plan proper drainage channels to manage future runoff. Permanent animal habitat structures and native grasses had to be established and then irrigated for at least 2 years to ensure the parcel met what is referred to as the 'suitable for grazing' standard.
Today, NTEC returned the land to the Navajo Nation at the NTEC Navajo Mine Hogan after completing one last critical step in the process - a traditional Navajo blessing to commemorate the land being returned. President Buu Nygren attended the historic event. 'This is a positive step by NTEC. I now look forward to BIA's swift action in releasing the land back to the Navajo Nation. I am confident that BIA will move quickly so that the first ever release of formerly mined land back to the Navajo Nation will be accomplished under my Administration,' he said.
'NTEC is honored to return this land to the Navajo Nation and its people. We believe in doing what is right and creating multi-generational solutions. We proudly support the sovereignty of the Navajo Nation over its own natural resources and take our commitment to reclamation seriously. With more than 26 thousand acres of land reclaimed to date, NTEC leads reclamation efforts throughout the industry. This is a legacy we are extremely proud of,' said Vern K. Lund, Chief Executive Officer for NTEC.
About NTEC
Navajo Transitional Energy Company (NTEC) is a world-class, diversified energy company with a unique purpose and vision. Established by the Navajo Nation to exercise sovereignty over its abundant natural resources, NTEC has grown rapidly and now has a sizeable and successful portfolio of mining, energy generation, and helium assets. NTEC is committed to achieving multi-generational, clean energy solutions that ensure the continued prosperity of the Navajo Nation while providing essential power to the entire Southwest and beyond.
NTEC was recognized with the Sentinels of Safety award from the National Mining Association, and the Safety Award for Large Surface Mine from the Rocky Mountain Coal Institute in 2022, and the OSMRE National Award for Excellence in Surface Mining Reclamation in 2024, 2022, and 2020. For more information, visit www.navenergy.com.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Wire
43 minutes ago
- Business Wire
The New Home Company Schedules Earnings Conference Call for the Fiscal 2025 Third Quarter
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The New Home Company today announced that the Company will release its financial results for the fiscal 2025 third quarter on its confidential data site on Thursday, August 14, 2025. The Company will also host a conference call beginning at 8:00 AM Pacific Time (11:00 AM Eastern Time) on Thursday, August 14, 2025 to review the results, discuss recent events and conduct a question-and-answer period. The earnings release, investor presentation, conference call and webcast will be accessible to certain eligible participants, including holders of the Company's Senior Notes, as described on the Investors section of the Company's website at To participate in the call or webcast, eligible participants must submit a request for access through the Investors section of the Company's website at least two business days prior to the conference call. To listen to the webcast live, eligible participants may access the link found in the Conference Call Information document on the Confidential Data Site. We recommend accessing the link approximately 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time in order to register, download and install any necessary audio software. Please have your passcode ready when accessing or dialing into the call. An archive of the webcast will be available to eligible participants for a limited time. About The New Home Company New Home Company is a diversified asset-light homebuilder focused on the design, construction, and sale of attainable, consumer-driven, attached and detached single family homes targeting entry level and first time move up buyers within high growth markets in California, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Texas and Florida. For more information, visit
San Francisco Chronicle
43 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Marin County wastewater plant to become idyllic city's largest housing plan in decades
Change is coming to the city of Larkspur, a small enclave north of San Francisco that, despite its idyllic views, historic charm and reputation as one of Marin County's best-served transit hubs, has had somewhat stunted growth. The last housing development of significant scale to rise in the city across the Golden Gate Bridge — an 85-unit project featuring single family homes and senior housing — was completed before the pandemic. City manager Dan Schwartz said the lack of housing construction is because developable land has historically been in short supply. But that is about to change. This week, the Ross Valley Sanitary District launched its search for qualified developers to transform the former site of a long-decommissioned wastewater treatment plant at the Larkspur waterfront into hundreds of new homes. It's a rare opportunity, given that the 10.7-acre site at 2000 Larkspur Landing is the last large available swath of land in the city, a designation that contributed to it becoming the focus of recent zoning changes as Larkspur faces a state mandate to build close to 1,000 new homes by 2031 — a lofty goal for a city of 13,000 residents. Now, city officials are banking on the Larkspur Landing property to help bring it significantly closer to meeting that housing goal. Last September, as the city adopted its 2040 General Plan and housing element, the property was rezoned with a 'Housing Priority Overlay' designation, meaning that projects proposed there could qualify for ministerial review, which provides little room for discretion or public objection. And, the property, which consists of two lots, has been rezoned to allow for additional density: Between 25 and 35 units per acre are now permitted, per the Sanitary District's request for qualifications, which states that 320 homes at the site are a 'realistic capacity.' 'The number of units can increase under various state laws that encourage affordable housing,' he said. The new redevelopment capacity at the Sanitary District-owned property eclipses past proposals that were pitched for the site. A plan was previously approved to build a 64,000-square-foot hotel there alongside 126 homes, of which 25 were designated as affordable. But that effort was derailed when contamination was discovered on the property during the wastewater plant's demolition, causing the developers behind the hotel and housing plan to pull out of what, at that time, had been an 11-year deal, and sue the Sanitary District for $15 million. The lawsuit was ultimately settled in 2018. The Sanitary District spent recent years cleaning the site of polychlorinated biphenyls, also known as PCBs. 'We cleaned up the property to the highest standards,' Steve Moore, the Sanitary District's general manager, said. 'We then worked closely with the city of Larkspur on rezoning the property to meet the city's housing and open space needs and to preserve the sanitary district's critical infrastructure access at the site.' Moore said the Sanitary District, in partnership with its real estate consultant Century Urban, is now searching for a development team with a 'track record of responsible and successful development' and "substantial financial resources.' Responses to the request for qualifications issued this week are due on Sept. 26, and represent the first step in the selection process, which will also involve a request for proposals at a later date. The development team that is ultimately selected will have an option to purchase the property after it is successfully entitled. Despite the recent economic downturn that has chilled new housing and commercial development throughout the Bay Area, Moore said he is optimistic that the time is ripe to usher the Larkspur Landing property into its next chapter. 'The nature of this property being over 10 acres, and it being situated by the Richmond bridge and all of these other transit opportunities … and frankly, the lack of controversy in what the city has contemplated for the property in comparison with other locations within the city of Larkspur, those are all good signs,' he said. Schwartz, the city manager, agreed. 'It's a missing puzzle piece,' he said. 'If you look at a map, there's a road that stops, and it needs to be completed. The (future project) will tie that whole area together in a really nice way.'
Business Wire
an hour ago
- Business Wire
Destiny Tech100 Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2025 Results
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Destiny Tech100 Inc. (NYSE: DXYZ) today announced financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2025. The fund reported a net asset value (NAV) of $6.92 per share of common stock, up from $6.31 per share at the end of the first quarter of 2025. As of June 30, 2025, Destiny Tech100's investment portfolio had an aggregate fair value of approximately $76.8 million, including short-term investments. The fund maintains positions in a variety of privately-held technology companies. Additional Information For more information about the Tech100 fund, Destiny XYZ Inc., the Fund's parent company, has made extensive resources available on its website. Prospective investors and the general public are encouraged to visit (in the Literature section) to receive the Fund's most recent annual report and other important information. About Destiny Tech100 Destiny Tech100 ('DXYZ' and 'Tech100'), is a publicly-listed registered closed-end fund that intends to invest in a portfolio of 100 of the top venture-backed private technology companies, providing everyday investors access to many of the world's most exciting private businesses. Destiny Tech100 Inc. is currently listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol 'DXYZ.' For a comprehensive list of holdings, visit the fund website at
