EPA Grants Oklahoma Control Over Tribal Lands

[douglas9]

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted the state of Oklahoma regulatory control over environmental issues on nearly all tribal lands there, TYT has learned. This strips from 38 tribes in Oklahoma their sovereignty over environmental issues. It also establishes a legal and administrative pathway to potential environmental abuses on tribal land, including dumping hazardous chemicals like carcinogenic PCBs and petroleum spills, with no legal recourse by the tribes, according to a former high-level official of the EPA.

This also includes hazardous chemicals that are byproducts of petroleum procurement and refining. In 2019, Oklahoma had the fourth largest petroleum industry in the US.

TYT has obtained a copy of the letter EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler sent to Gov. J. Kevin Stitt (R-OK) on October 1. The end of the opening paragraph states simply, “EPA hereby approves Oklahoma's request.”

https://tyt.com/stories/4vZLCHuQrYE4uKagy0oyMA/65Oa5a0nYI4rljnOqxhUto

[AnnaLee]

1. Is there a precedence for this? ntp

[yellerpup]

2. Oh, hell NO!

This will not happen.

[Tech]

3. I know much needs to be done, but I hope the EPA is given a major overhaul.

[GeorgeGist]

4. This is illegal.

But Trumpers don't care.

[procon]

5. How can that be legal?

This is what the US govt did to native American people over a century ago to steal their land. I hope this moves up the court system and their rights are protected.

[Deuxcents]

6. What about their treaties?

This doesn’t sound good

[douglas9]

7. Oklahoma governor asked EPA to strip tribes of environmental authority (Background)

snip>

This move could destroy opportunities for tribal leaders to reduce pollution and fossil fuel dependency in the eastern half of Oklahoma, effectively thwarting July's Supreme court ruling giving the tribes sovereignty over the vast area.

Stitt revealed his EPA request in a little-noticed webinar hosted by the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, a farming trade group. The farm bureau's president, Rodd Moesel, noted that in 2005, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) attached a midnight rider to an appropriations bill, creating a federal law that the EPA must regulate environmental issues on the state’s tribal land or, if requested, the state of Oklahoma gains regulatory control.


https://www.ncronline.org/news/earthbeat/oklahoma-governor-asked-epa-strip-tribes-environmental-authority

[wendyb-NC]

8. I despise the repub criminals,

everything is for their,privileged exploitation, and personal financial enhancement. Who or what they hurt does not matter. It's all about their power grab.

[sinkingfeeling]

9. This must be overturned in January 2021!