U.S. Rep. Eli Crane criticized federal agencies for delaying gravel mine permits for the Navajo Nation as the tribe grapples with a flooding emergency.
Residents were forced to evacuate earlier this week after snowmelt overflowed creeks in Chinle.
The Arizona Republic reports Crane took the opportunity to remind the Department of the Interior that the Navajo Nation has attempted to permit gravel mines for years. The crushed rock would be used to reinforce the dirt roads on the vast reservation and pave others. Crane said in a tweet that this delay exacerbates emergencies.
He also noted that he wrote to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to encourage the department to stop delaying the process.
The Navajo Nation Council approved the lease for the gravel pit in 2018.