That’s why we’re asking you to make a donation this month to help support our efforts. Our news is free for everyone to read, but it is not free to produce. From the protests at Standing Rock and the rise of the American Indian Movement (AIM), to the ongoing epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People (MMIP) and the past-due reckoning related to assimilation, cultural genocide and Indian Boarding Schools. For the past dozen years, we’ve covered the most important news stories that are usually overlooked by other media. This month, we celebrate our 12th year of delivering Native News to readers throughout Indian Country and beyond. More Stories Like This Tribes Host Prayer Ceremony Near White House Urging Biden to Reverse Resolution Copper Mine San Carlos Apache take copper mine fight to United Nations Native American Attorney and Activist Tara Houska Honored with $100,000 Rose-Walters Prize for Global Environmental Activism Yellowstone Bison See Deadliest Season Since 2008 Scramble for clean energy metals confronted by calls to respect Indigenous rights Department of the Interior, and the State of Washington. The Muckleshoot and Suquamish tribes were plaintiffs in that legal action, along with the NOAA, the U.S. In June 2021, the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington finalized a consent decree that called for Vigor Industrial LLC and Exxon Mobil Corporation to pay $815,817 for habitat restoration of the Duwamish River. This is not the first time the two tribes have been involved in legal action to help restore the Duwamish from environmental harm. According to the Government Accountability Office, the EPA does not have reliable data identifying National Priorities List sites on tribal property or those affecting tribes. There is no comprehensive list of how many Superfund sites are on, or near, tribal lands. Superfund sites are polluted locations that require a long-term response to clean up hazardous material contaminations.Īs of March 29, 2023, there were 1,336 Superfund sites on the EPA’s National Priorities List, which is up from 1,334 from Native News Online’s reporting last year. Known by the agency as the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site, it’s eligible for a special federal cleanup program funded by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) because of the identified severity of contamination. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared the Lower Duwamish Waterway a “Superfund” site in 2001. did not respond to a request for comment by Native News Online. The defendants in the legal action include Lynden, Knik Construction Co., Douglas Management Co., Alaska Marine Lines Inc., Swan Bay Holdings Inc., Bering Marine Corp., LTI, Inc., Lynden Transport, Inc. Department of Interior, the state of Washington’s Department of Ecology, and the two tribes. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. The plaintiffs in the legal action include the U.S. The most significant endpoint of PAH toxicity is cancer, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. PAHs are a class of chemicals that occur naturally in coal, crude oil, and gasoline, according to the Centers for Disease Control. “These contaminants have had serious impacts on the aquatic organisms and other natural resources that inhabit, or come into contact with, contaminated sediments or eat contaminated prey.”Īccording to the court filing, the defendants' business operations resulted in releases of hazardous substances, including but not limited to, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), tributyltin, bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, and phenol to the Duwamish River. “The Lower Duwamish River, which flows into Elliott Bay, has been subject to considerable levels of industrial and other uses by numerous parties throughout its history and into the present,” the filing says.
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