EPA gives tribe more say on water quality

Fort Hall Indian Reservation, Idaho-The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved giving the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes greater authority and responsibility for protecting water quality on the Fort Hall Reservation. The “Treatment as a State” (TAS) approval on Sept. 5 covers all of the water bodies within the exterior boundaries of the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in Eastern Idaho, and means the tribes can now develop their own water quality standards under the federal Clean Water Act. The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes are now the second Indian tribe in Idaho authorized to set water quality standards on their home reservation, joining the Coeur d’Alene tribe in northern Idaho. EPA’s action also means the Shoshone-Bannocks can issue water quality certifications for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) wastewater discharge permits and any other federal permit or license where there is a discharge to reservation waters. The Tribes, IDEQ, and EPA will also sign a Memorandum of Understanding that establishes a process for the three governments to work together for any future revisions to the water quality standards. The tribes’ public participation process for the water quality standards has not yet begun. Their water resources department will hold a hearing and give the public a chance to submit written comments while the standards are being developed and before they are submitted to EPA. The tribes expect to initiate public participation on the standards in the spring of 2009. The tribal standards will go into effect under the federal Clean Water Act after EPA approval. According to Elin Miller, EPA regional administrator in Seattle, the TAS decision reflects tangible progress in fulfilling one of EPA’s top priorities. “Building tribal expertise and increased capacity for environmental protection is a top priority for EPA,” Miller said. “Our action today not only acknowledges the tribes’ demonstrated commitment to protecting water quality, but also reflects how seriously we take our tribal trust responsibilities in the pursuit of environmental protection for all.”