Nevada tribes get $5.6M from EPA for improvements

Just last month, the United States Environmental Protection Agency awarded $5.6 million in funding to Nevada tribes.

The money would be used for environmental programs, wastewater and drinking water infrastructure and community education, according to an Oct. 25 news release.

These funds will help the tribes develop environmental protection and public health programs, as well as establish sustainability projects that might not otherwise get funding.

Money breakdown

About $1.7 million will be used to support projects involving wastewater reclamation, treatment systems, water and energy efficiency, watershed protection and restoration and monitoring.

Indian Health Services will get another $107,000 to help with tribal drinking water, wastewater infrastructure, training for plant operators and general technical assistance.

Out of the rest of the $3.8 million, two local tribes will get community programs funded.

• The Walker River Paiute Tribe will finally get to finish an irrigation project. It will improve water quality and return flow to a large alfalfa field on the west bank of the river. The project involves stabilizing a long stretch of bank, installing five rock structures across the ditch and replanting with native plants and willow poles.
• The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe will use the funds for an environmental youth camp. The tribes Natural Resource Department will run a camp promoting principals of living off the land and learning the environmental problems and impacts, traditional resources, and cultural ways of protecting their ancestral lands. Money also will be used to hire local college students as interns.

In addition to these project, the rest of the funds will be used to clean up open dumps and contaminated lands, develop air quality programs and start community outreach education.

International Lining Technology supports sustainability projects and local community programs such as these tribe initiatives.