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The Office of Environmental Management (EM) of the U.S.
Department of Energy is involved in the cleanup of nuclear waste at nationwide
sites and facilities. The waste, a result of the production of nuclear weapons,
has affected sovereign Tribal nations located near these facilities. These
Tribal nations have been impacted by different types of waste contamination,
and their participation in the EM mission is critical.
Tribes are involved in pertinent cleanup decisions made by the Environmental
Management (EM) program and site activities through cooperative agreements,
agreements-in-principle, and memoranda-of-understanding, which allow the Tribes
to:
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Establish Tribal environmental programs related to Department of Energy sites
and facilities;
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Hire Tribal staff and scientific experts to inform Tribal leaders on cleanup
efforts;
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Examine cleanup plans at the sites; and
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Provide comments on potential and known impacts of past, present, and future cleanup work on Tribal
lands; and preserve and protect Tribal cultural resources; (e.g., artifacts,
fish and wildlife, native plants, and sacred sites) at the Department of Energy
and on Tribal lands.
Tribal environmental programs allow the Environmental Management program to tap
Tribal expertise by:
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Performing environmental protection activities such as water, soil, and air
monitoring;
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Establishing Transportation Emergency Response programs for Tribes to be "first
responders" for potential incidents on reservations and neighboring
jurisdictions; and
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Conducting cultural resource surveys, wildlife monitoring projects,
archeological assessments, and native plant re-vegetation in conjunction with
DOE cleanup projects; and promoting educational initiatives that enhance
cross-cultural understanding and student ability in the fields of mathematics
and science.
Hanford Tribes
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), Nez Perce Tribe
(NP), and Yakama Nation (YN) are important stakeholders with Treaty rights and
interests at the Hanford Site. DOE environmental cleanup activities have the
potential to impact natural and cultural resources and to interfere with American
Indian religious practices. Through cooperative agreements, tribal staff and
consultants of the YN, NP, and CTUIR are engaged on a daily basis with DOE and
its contractors. The principle activities by tribes include reviewing and
commenting on plans and documents, participating in meetings at the request of
DOE, monitoring cultural resource sites, participating in site surveys, and
identifying issues that will require additional consultation with elected officials
on a government-to-government level.
In addition to its primary cooperative agreement related to involvement at Hanford,
the CTUIR also receive additional financial support in regards to the Tribal Fire
Department. The CTUIR have first responder capability and responsibility for
transportation accidents on their reservation. This transportation and emergency
response grant provides supplemental funding to support training, equipment and
some personnel costs in recognition of the shipments of hazardous materials routed
directly through the CTUIR reservation to and from Hanford.
For additional information, please see Richland Operations Office. 
West Valley & Seneca Nation
The Seneca Nation of Indians have interests and concerns regarding
the West Valley Demonstration Project Site. Like at Hanford, DOE environmental cleanup
activities have the potential to impact natural and cultural resources and to interfere
with American Indian religious practices. Through a cooperative agreement, tribal
staff is engaged on a frequent basis with DOE and its contractors. The principle
activities engaged by tribes include reviewing and commenting on plans and documents,
participating in meetings at the request of DOE, monitoring cultural resource sites,
participating in site surveys, and identifying issues that will require additional
consultation with elected officials on a government-to-government level.
In addition, the Seneca have first responder status and are concerned regarding the
transportation of hazardous materials routed through the Seneca reservation to and from
the West Valley Demonstration Project. The Seneca coordinate with West Valley to insure
compliance with established transportation notification protocols.
For additional information, see West
Valley Demonstration Project.
Los Alamos National Laboratory
The Los Alamos Pueblos Project (LAPP), comprised of four New Mexico pueblo governments
(Santa Clara Pueblo, Pueblo of Cochiti, Pueblo of Jemez, and Pueblo de San Ildefonso),
has individual cooperative agreements to develop and maintain environmental monitoring
programs. The LAPP is funded by both EM and National Nuclear Security
Administration/Defense Programs (NNSA). Funds provided vary from one Pueblo to
another. In addition, EM funds the Santa Fe Indian School to work with the LAPP
pueblos.
Provisions of the agreements allow LAPP tribal program personnel to obtain the
necessary training to monitor and sample soil, air, groundwater, and other media.
Such sampling is performed both at the pueblo level and jointly with LANL. The
agreements allow for the formation of pueblo structured environmental programs to
ensure DOE operations are not impacting the pueblo lands; and to the extent there are
impacts, allow for continued monitoring of contaminated sites. The Pueblos utilize
the Santa Fe Indian School to assist in monitoring activities and collaborate with Los
Alamos National Laboratory on issues of mutual interest. Currently, LAPP personnel are
actively participating, at the request of DOE, NNSA, and LANL, in reviewing and
commenting on the LANL Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement.
WIPP Transportation Funding
In addition, the Carlsbad Field Office funds a number of tribes and pueblos along the
WIPP transportation corridors. The funds are first responder training and support.
The following tribes and pueblos are involved with WIPP transportation corridors:
For additional information, please see Carlsbad Field Office.
Special Initiatives
The Department and the Tribes have engaged in a wide range of issues under
established cooperative agreements. The projects initiated by DOE and the
Tribes are meeting the Department's two-fold mission of cleaning up America's
environmental legacy and addressing environmental concerns for America's
future.
The following projects demonstrate how DOE and the Tribes can successfully
preserve, protect, and enhance the environment by utilizing Tribal knowledge.
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Santa
Fe Indian School.
The Department values the importance of education and supports initiatives to
help educate and train tomorrow's scientists and engineers. Specifically, the
Environmental Management program continues to support an innovative program at
the Santa Fe Indian School, which encourages Tribal youth to consider careers
in scientific and technical areas of environmental protection. In a
community-based approach, students learn hands-on environmental monitoring and
analytical skills. They work with Pueblo environmental program staff in water
and wildlife monitoring as well as cultural resource protection activities.
What the students learn in the classroom is applied in field work important to
the Department's clean-up activities.
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Tribal "Oral Histories" Project
The Department worked in partnership with several Tribes to capture the
stories of native peoples as they were impacted by the development of the
nuclear arsenal and the subsequent cleanup of the weapons complex. The project
yielded additional information about the sites to assist the
Environmental Management program in its remediation activities. Additionally,
the Tribal "Oral Histories" project brought to light the wisdom and
knowledge of Tribal elders and members in a way that furthers the Department's
understanding about the significance of Tribal culture and the Indian Tribes'
inherent relationship with the environment. Furthermore, the project has continued to
increase Tribal members' understanding of the nuclear age and the challenges
faced by the Department in addressing the cleanup of its sites.
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Salmon
Corps
Native American youth from the Nez Perce, Umatilla, Yakama, Warm Springs, and
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes in the Northwest United States restored
the chinook salmon population of the Columbia River. This effort, known as
Salmon Corps, arose out of AmeriCorps
program. Tribal youth used immense man-made pools at Hanford that once
held hundreds of tons of water to cool nuclear reactors for salmon rearing and
acclimation. After the salmon outgrow their temporary home, they were released
into the Columbia River. In addition, the youth rehabilitated declining
Columbia River salmon habitat, which was crucial for increased salmon
population.
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Tribal Colleges Initiative (TCI)
As Tribes are beginning to build environmental programs, they are also
encouraging Native American college students at Tribal colleges to consider
careers in the environmental sciences. With the help of the TCI, Tribal
colleges and universities are meeting the demand of Tribes seeking qualified
Native American scientists and engineers with the skills necessary for
protecting and preserving the environment. EM provided critical developmental
support to TCI.
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