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CONNECTED TO OUR COMMUNITIES Orlinda Dineyazhe recognized by Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency Golder is deeply connected to communities worldwide through our work as engineers and scientists and through our giving which is focused on applying our skills and time to education, community enhancement, conservation and disaster recovery.
Project Site Engineer Orlinda Dineyazhe, based out of Golder’s St. Louis (US) office, was nominated for an Environmental Excellence Award by the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency (NNEPA). Orlinda organized a huge clean-up effort in her home community of Blue Canyon—located on the Navajo (DINE’) Reservation, approximately 160 kilometers north-east of Flagstaff, Arizona. The Navajo Nation is the largest Native American territory in the United States covering 71,000 square-kilometers of land in north-eastern Arizona, south-eastern Utah, and northwestern New Mexico.
Orlinda Dineyazhe
GOLDER 2018 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT REPORT
Having lived in Blue Canyon for more than 30 years, Orlinda was concerned about the amount of waste being dumped along Blue Canyon Road—a beautiful and sacred five-kilometer stretch of red rock canyons, pinyon trees and sagebrush, and stepped in to act. Orlinda organized a community clean-up for the area on Labor Day in 2017, after a call out for volunteers in the local Navajo Times newspaper.
More than 60 volunteers showed up on the clean-up day, disposing of 60 cubic meters of trash, 300 tyres, and 18 liters of used motor oil from the area. Dumping is a frustrating problem on the Reservation and there is no landfill or trash pick-up service. While residents can pay for this service, most people on the Reservation can’t afford the fees, hence the illegal dump sites. Orlinda hopes to influence a change in behavior by appealing to the resident’s love of their country and respect for nature. She can see that much can be achieved when everyone works together. There are plans in place to make this an annual event and Orlinda is currently planning the next campaign in the Blue Canyon area.
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