A U.S. Senate subcommittee exploring the impact of unfunded mandates from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was told this week by the chief of Oklahoma’s Quapaw tribe the mandates are a heavy legal burden.
John Berrey testified before the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management and Regulatory Oversight.
“We have a heavy legal burden put upon us because we are Native Americans and we don’t get the opportunity to consult with the EPA and other agencies. So it makes it very difficult for us to keep up with the rules and regulations that come down the pike,” Berrey told the Senators.
His tribe is working on cleanup of the Tar Creek Superfund site which sits mostly in Ottawa County where his tribal headquarters are located.
“I believe if it wasn’t for a lot of regulations and mandates by the EPA, we would probably be further along in the cleanup than we are today,” stated the chief. “We’re constantly facing new rules, new mandates that make it difficult for us to stay focused on doing what it is that we do to save the taxpayer money and get the work done.”
Chief Berrey also lamented that additional EPA rules have added greatly to the cost of a meat processing plant his tribe is attempting to build. It’s a USDA inspected beef and bison processing plant that Berrey said would cost half as much if it were built across the street on private land.
“We’re constantly dealing with the federal system of rules and regulations that impede us in our ability to work fast and gain financing,” he added. The Chief told the Senators the EPA’s rules and regulations are hurting numerous other tribes across the country, not just his.
“You go across the country today. You fly at night and see the reservations in the West—purely because of regulatory mandates, the tribes have difficulty meeting, the reservations are dark.”
He pointed to new coal regulations that are keeping the tribes without electricity. Chief Berrey said it’s a matter of getting cooperation from the EPA.
“We want true consultation. We want true communication and we want collaboration. We believe that we know what’s best for our people. Native Americans don’t want to trash the rivers. We don’t want to trash the air. We don’t want to make the world a worse place for our grandchildren.”
Listen to part of Chief Berrey’s testimony.
