BIA threatens to close reservation trailer park

Wednesday, May 16, 2007  

The Bureau of Indian Affairs is giving an Indian landowner 90 days to bring his mobile home park on the Torres Martinez Reservation in California up to fire code.

If Henry Duro doesn't act by that date, the BIA said it will ask a federal judge to shut down the park, known as "Duroville." A fire on Monday destroyed six trailers and left eight families homeless.

The Desert Mobile Home Park is located on a 40-acre allotment on the reservation. The tribe says it has little control over the facility, along with other trailer parks and dumps that have posed environmental and health hazards.

The Environmental Protection Agency recently stepped in to close down a major dump on the reservation.

Get the Story:
Fire may speed closure of desert trailer park (The Los Angeles Times 5/16)
pwday

Relevant Links:
Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians - http://www.torresmartinez.org

Related Stories:
Dump on Torres Martinez Reservation fined $46M (03/23)
EPA goes after dumps on Torres Martinez land (3/21)
Another fire burns at Torres Martinez dump (11/28)
Board allocates funds for Torres Martinez dump (11/16)
Torres Martinez Reservation dump on Superfund list (10/20)
Underground fire on Torres Martinez Reservation (09/14)
Judge closes dump on Torres Martinez Reservation (08/09)
Editorial: Little help for tribes with illegal dumps (12/19)
Illegal dumping a big problem on reservation (12/13)
Fire burns for a week on Torres Martinez Reservation (04/11)
California tribe to use EPA grant to monitor water (02/02)
Calif. tribe gives members bottled water (02/11)
Church ordered to remove tent from reservation (10/05)
Judge asked to shut down reservation dump site (7/24)
Feds seek to close reservation mobile home park (07/11)
Waste dump on reservation told to stop burning (05/08)