Nez Perce Tribe
Brownfield Response
Program
Confluence Snake and Clearwater
Rivers
Location and Hillshade Map
Nez Perce Reservation
Treaty of 1855
Reserved treaty rights
• Original homeland ≈ 13 Million Acres in
SW Washington, NE Oregon, N-Central
Idaho, W Montana
• Fishing, Hunting, Gathering, and Pasturing
animals
• Protecting treaty rights is highest priority of
Tribe
The Checkerboarded Reservation
The Dawes Act
• This ad was from
1911
• 17,013 Acres for
Sale in Idaho
• The Nez Perce
Tribe Lost over
600,000 acres
Tribal Response Program Objectives
• Provide a Tribal regulatory structure that
protects human health and the
environment
• Partner with Federal and State Agencies
that support Tribal objectives
• Support and enhance Tribal sovereignty
• Long Term Goal: Development of
independent Tribal EPA
Filling the Gaps of On-Reservation
Environmental Regulation
• In many cases, there is an actual or de facto
regulatory gap on the reservation.
– i.e. protection of groundwater quality.
• To fill these gaps, the NPT is using a variety
of tools:
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Inherent Sovereign Authority
Federal Partnerships & Cooperative Agreements
Treatment as State (TAS)
Federal Capacity Building Grants
Voluntary Agreements
UST Inspection
Camus Express
• Jerrod Rickman
• American Indian UST
Inspector
• Seeking EPA UST
Inspector Credentials
Atkinson Distributing, Orofino
Voluntary Cleanup
Richardson Sawmill 1973
TU-45
Targeted Brownfield Assessment
Richardson Sawmill, TU-45
1.
2.
3.
4.
PCB Transformer Oil
Creosote
UST
Lead - Trap Range
TBA: Craigmont Trap Range
X-Ray Fluorescence
Soil Screening for Lead
Hazardous Environmental
Response Team
Lochsa Diesel Spills
Thompson Ck Molybdenum Mine
EIS Impacts to Salmon River
Son of Coyote