The Tribal Environment: Solid Waste in Indian Country

Abstract

The issue of solid waste management in Indian country is multidimensional in scope because it affects more than just regulatory concerns. There are more than 550 federally recognized Alaska Native and American Indian Tribes in the United States. Tribes are sovereign nations that have a special relationship to the federal government and a unique legal status. The environmental problems faced by tribes are many, and it is only fair that tribes, as sovereigns, specify the levels of protection on their lands. The one-size-fits-all regulatory approach to environmental problems and solid waste management in particular does not work and often leads to conflict between tribes and the federal and state governments. Inherent tensions also exist between tribes and various levels of government concerning jurisdiction of lands and managing solid waste. These intergovernmental relationships are often complex and present unique challenges to all. More research needs to be done on targeting resources to meet the capacity-building needs of tribes, as well as the overall environmental management needs of Indian country under the federal trust obligation. Successful intergovernmental relationships can be fostered through partnership arrangements between tribes and federal, state, and local governments. In the area of solid waste such partnerships have worked. It requires that all levels of government deal with tribes with careful consideration of their cultural, historic, and socioeconomic aspects, which are often intertwined.

Comparing Environmental Policies to Reduce Pharmaceutical Pollution and Address Disparities

“…Moreover, the U.S. government formally recognizes 574 Indian tribes in the contiguous 48 states and Alaska [ 44 ]. In the U.S., there has been a destructive assault on Indian (Tribal) lands as countless Indian Nations (Tribes) have been approached by the US government and waste disposal industry in search of new dumping grounds for the unwanted medical, solid, toxic, and nuclear waste (e.g., pesticides, asbestos, sewage sludge ash) of industrial society [ 45 , 46 ]. Indian Nations have resisted the toxic invasion of the waste industry by rejecting proposal agreements for medical waste incinerators outright [ 45 ].…”