A bill to designate the Southern Ute Tribe as a state under the Clean Air Act was signed by President Bush on Tuesday.
The tribe sought the designation for years but ran into objections from the state of Colorado. As a compromise, the tribe and the state created a joint air authority commission.
The bill recognizes the tribe's ability to issue civil enforcement orders for violations of its air quality standards. Any challenges to the tribe's authority will be handled in federal court.
Get the Story:
State-tribe air commission approved
(The Durango Herald 10/20)
Get the Bill:
Southern Ute and Colorado Intergovernmental Agreement Implementation Act (S.551)
Bill treating tribe as state signed into law
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Trending in News
1 Tribes rush to respond to new coronavirus emergency created by Trump administration
2 'At this rate the entire tribe will be extinct': Zuni Pueblo sees COVID-19 cases double as first death is confirmed
3 Arne Vainio: 'A great sickness has been visited upon us as human beings'
4 Arne Vainio: Zoongide'iwin is the Ojibwe word for courage
5 Cayuga Nation's division leads to a 'human rights catastrophe'
2 'At this rate the entire tribe will be extinct': Zuni Pueblo sees COVID-19 cases double as first death is confirmed
3 Arne Vainio: 'A great sickness has been visited upon us as human beings'
4 Arne Vainio: Zoongide'iwin is the Ojibwe word for courage
5 Cayuga Nation's division leads to a 'human rights catastrophe'