Environment
Environmental woes plague Tohono O'odham Nation


The Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona is seeking solutions to environmental and health problems affecting the reservation.

The 2.8 million-acre reservation has 113 open-pit dumps, elevated levels of chemicals in groundwater and at least 1,300 homes without indoor plumbing.

The tribe is using gaming revenues and federal funds to tackle the situation. About $1.1 million in federal funds will build a water and sewage system and $1.6 million more will help clean up the dumps. The Environmental Protection Agency just awarded the tribe $50,000 to clean up garbage left by Mexican migrants who use the reservation to come into the U.S.

Get the Story:
O'odham solutions elusive (The Arizona Daily Star 3/4)
EPA VISITS O'ODHAM LAND: Healthy future envisioned (The Tucson Citizen 3/4)