The Challenge
Amid international anti-coal fervor and market pressures to close most coal plants across the country and globe, BHP Billiton’s coal mining operation on the Navajo Reservation and the nearby powerplant (sought) a 15-year permit extension.
BHP Billiton suffered strained relationships with many stakeholders and were at a impasse. The company engaged ECA as a strategic partner to better understand the stakeholders and influencers, design a strategic communications plan for the company, and clear a path forward to a positive outcome and permit approval.
The mine was 58% of the Navajo Nation’s operating budget and the highest paying jobs, so the economic and community impact stakes were high.
