EPA Announces Settlement with the Department of the Interior to Resolve Violations at DOI Schools in Indian Country/Comprehensive settlement to improve environmental condition...
WASHINGTON —The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a
comprehensive settlement with the Department of
the Interior (DOI) to address alleged violations of waste, water,
air, toxics and community right-to-know laws at schools and public
water systems in Indian Country owned, operated, or the legal
responsibility of DOI’s Indian Affairs Office. The settlement
will protect students’ health and the health of communities
in Indian Country by reducing potential exposure to environmental
hazards.
“Children are more vulnerable to
environmental exposures than adults, which is why ensuring that
schools provide safe, healthy learning environments for our
children, particularly in tribal communities, is a top priority for
EPA,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for
EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.
“Today’s landmark settlement will help strengthen
public health and environmental protection in Indian Country and
will improve environmental management practices at federally
managed tribal schools.”
Under the settlement, the DOI’s Indian
Affairs Office, comprised of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and
the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), will correct all of the
alleged violations at 72 schools and 27 water systems. DOI will
implement an environmental compliance auditing program and an
environmental management system (EMS), designed to improve
environmental practices at all of its BIE schools and BIA public
water systems serving these schools. DOI has also agreed to install
a solar energy system which will serve a school located in the
Grand Canyon. The solar energy project will help ensure a more
reliable source of electricity for the school and local community.
DOI will also pay a civil penalty of $234,844 which it must spend
to correct violations of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act
(AHERA) at its schools.
EPA conducted compliance inspections and data
reviews at more than 100 BIE/BIA schools and public water systems.
The settlement addresses all alleged violations under the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the
Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Emergency Planning and
Community-Right-to-Know Act, the Toxic Substances Control
Act’s PCB provisions, and AHERA.
The settlement affects 60 tribes throughout the
U.S. which have DOI Office of Indian Affairs schools or public
water systems on or near their tribal lands. Consistent with
EPA’s consultation process with tribes, EPA consulted with
the 60 tribes affected prior to finalization of the settlement
agreement.
More information on the settlement:
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/federal/bia-settlement.html