United States Region 5 Illinois, Indiana,
Environmental Protection 7? West Jackson Blvd. Michigan, Minnesota,
Agency Chicago, Illinois 60604 Ohio, Wisconsin
-SEPA Environmental
NEWS RELEASE
CONTACTS: Don deBlasio, 312-886-4360, deblasio.don@epa.gov
Phillippa Cannon, 312-353-6218 cannon.phillippa@epa.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 08-OPA063
EPA APPROVES LAC DU FLAMBEAU TRIBE'S APPLICATION
CHICAGO (April 14, 2008)— U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region
5 has granted authority to the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior
Chippewa Indians to run its own water quality standards program on its
Wisconsin reservation. This authority is for the standards programs only.
The tribe will have to submit the actual water quality standards developed
to EPA for another round of review and approval.
The Clean Water Act allows tribes to run their own water programs in a
manner similar to states. Currently, EPA is responsible for carrying out
provisions of the Clean Water Act on the reservation. In 2005, the Lac du
Flambeau tribe applied to EPA for authority to establish its own water
quality standards for surface water within its reservation. The reservation
contains many lakes and water resources that support a variety of uses,
including drinking water, fishing, boating and rice growing.
more
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EPA APPROVES LAC DU FLAMBEA U'S APPLICA TION - Page 2
Forty tribes across the country have been authorized to run their own water
programs including three other tribes in the Great Lakes region - the Mole
Lake Band of Sokaogon Chippewa in Wisconsin, and the Fond du Lac Band
of Chippewa and Grand Portage Band of Chippewa in Minnesota.
More information about this decision and EPA's responses to comments
received from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the
public are available on www.epa.gov/region5/water/wqs5/wqstribes.htm
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