Manatt Partner Comments on Completing Navajo Mine Deal
"Navajos Put Their Bets on Coal with Acquisition of Mine"
Greenwire
November 1, 2013 - Manatt's Craig Moyer, chair of the firm's Land, Environment & Natural Resources Division, spoke to Greenwire about the Navajo Nation's $85 million agreement to buy BHP Billiton's Navajo coal mine. Moyer was lead counsel for the Navajo Nation in the deal.
Greenwire reports that the tribe has been working for months on the transaction, meant to protect jobs and secure the continued presence of coal as part of its energy portfolio. The mine has about 430 employees, most of them Native American, and provided more than $40 million in revenues to the Navajo Nation in 2011.
"This is the bridge to the clean energy future and the revenues to pay for it," said Moyer. Citing the layers of bureaucracy and numerous corporate interests involved, Moyer added, "This is one of the most complicated transactions I have ever done in over 30 years of big projects. I am pleased that we were able to get to this milestone."