Indigenous Leaders Furious After EPA Grants Oklahoma Control Over Sovereign Tribal Lands

[G_j]

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/05/indigenous-leaders-furious-after-epa-grants-oklahoma-control-over-sovereign-tribal?fbclid=IwAR2xyByHW78_cr5QbO2taqDB4I8rwS9aRjzlSc0tWjGX_K9X3PndRfGyCK4

Published on
Monday, October 05, 2020
byCommon Dreams

Indigenous Leaders Furious After EPA Grants Oklahoma Control Over Sovereign Tribal Lands

"We must fight back against this underhanded ruling," said one Indigenous leader. "In the courts, on the frontlines and in the international courts, life itself is at stake."

byBrett Wilkins, staff writer

In a little-noticed development last week that drew ire after being reported Monday, the Trump administration's EPA granted the state of Oklahoma wide-ranging environmental regulatory control on nearly all tribal lands in the state, stripping dozens of tribes of their sovereignty over critical environmental issues.

The Young Turks which first reported the news, obtained a copy of an October 1 letter (pdf) from EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler granting a request by Republican Gov. J. Kevin Stitt for control of environmental regulations on tribal land on a wide range of issues, including:

/Dumping hazardous waste—including formaldehyde; mercury; lead; asbestos; toxic air pollutants; per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); pesticides; the herbicide glyphosate, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)—on tribal lands.

-Underground Injection Control, the EPA's fracking permitting system.

-Protecting major agricultural polluters, including large-scale factory farming operations.

..more..

[panader0]

1. Sovereign means sovereign. Do not touch.

I think this will be reversed in February.

[niyad]

2. How in the hell is that even legal? Or enforcible?

[sinkingfeeling]

3. As they should be. I'm furious as well.

[GeorgeGist]

4. Illegal AF.

[ananda]

5. ACLU, now!!!

!!!

[LiberalFighter]

6. Will not be satisfied until those responsible are gone and unemployable.