According to the Associated Press on Thursday, the Navajo Council said it would put off a vote after bringing into question the coal-fired facility’s water use, pollution control plans and the role of the federal government in the plant’s future.

The Salt River Project operates the Arizona power plant, while the agreement would extend a lease expiring in 2019 to 2044.

Payments to the Navajo Nation Tribe would also rise significantly from $3 million annually to $43 million annually.

Navajo president Ben Shelly issued a communication to the Navajo Council in the hours before the meeting urging the group to approve the lease he said was “well negotiated”

“As president, I am delegated the authority to negotiate pursuant to my powers and

authority stated in Title Two of the Navajo Nation Code,” he said, noting he used that authority to appoint a negotiation team.

“The team negotiated a good solid agreement for the Navajo Nation.

“We have been told by SRP there is little, if no room to renegotiate [and] they consider the major points of the agreement to be exhausted, such as jurisdiction and money.”

Shelly said that due to mitigating circumstances, the water concerns surrounding the facility were not likely to be resolved before the extension was required to be finalized.

“The Navajo Nation Council’s authority pertains to approving or not approving the NGS

lease extension amendment [and] contemplation of furthering any negotiations would be

detrimental to the Navajo Nation and the people who rely on Navajo generation station for their livelihood,” he said.