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News Releases from Region 06

EPA awards Cherokee Nation $75,000 to protect the environment

06/13/2017
Contact Information: 
Joe Hubbard or Jennah Durant (R6press@epa.gov)
214-665-2200

DALLAS (June 13, 2017) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded $75,000 to the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, as part of the General Assistance Program (GAP). The tribe will use the funds to administer their environmental program and assist in the development of multimedia programs to address environmental issues. The GAP program protects the health of the Cherokee Nation by safeguarding the environment through awareness and environmental program development.

“The Cherokee Nation has been recognized for their leadership in environmental services,” said Acting Regional Administrator Sam Coleman. “We are pleased to support our tribal partners in sustaining environmental protection endeavors.”

"These GAP dollars support all of the environmental work that we do here at the Cherokee Nation. Our partnership with the EPA benefits both the Nation, and all of northeast Oklahoma,” Sara Hill, Secretary of Natural Resources for Cherokee Nation said.

The grant will provide support for the Cherokee Nation Environmental Protection Commission (EPC). The commission is a five-person board that oversees environmental programs. The EPC regulates areas such as solid waste including the Cherokee Nation Landfill and underground storage tanks, toxic and hazardous substance control, and water quality. The EPC also promulgates rules, conducts enforcement actions, issues permits, approves facility plans, and conducts oversight of environmental review activities and procedures for handling complaints.

The primary purpose of GAP is to support the development of core tribal environmental protection programs. Other activities to be carried out under the grant include, but are not limited to, attending environmentally related training and conducting community outreach.   

In 1992, Congress passed the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program Act which authorizes EPA to provide GAP grants to federally-recognized tribes and tribal groups for planning, developing, and establishing environmental protection programs in Indian country, as well as for developing and implementing solid and hazardous waste programs on tribal lands.

The Cherokee Nation’s Office of Environmental Services is a member of the Inter-Tribal Environmental Council (ITEC), which is an organization that was developed by Cherokee Nation to protect the health of Native Americans, their natural resources, and their environment as it is related to air, land and water. This organization is designed to provide support, technical assistance, program development and training to member tribes.

For more information on EPC please visit: http://www.cherokee.org/Our-Government/Commissions/Environmental-Protection

To learn more about Inter-Tribal Environmental Council (ITEC) visit: http://itec.cherokee.org/

To learn more about EPA’s General Assistance Program (GAP) visit: https://www.epa.gov/tribal/indian-environmental-general-assistance-program-gap