The Department of Agriculture has withdrawn a permit that would have allowed a Hawaiian company to ship waste to landfill next to the Yakama Nation in Washington.

But the tribe still plans to litigate in order to protect its treaty rights. "This whole dispute leads us to believe the federal government doesn't want to honor its commitments," Chairman Harry Smiskin told The Wall Street Journal.

The tribe alleges it wasn't consulted by USDA about plans to store the waste on territory that was ceded by treaty. The tribe retains hunting, gathering, fishing and other rights on the land in question.

Hawaiian Waste Systems planned to ship the garbage from the city of Hawaii before the tribe went to court and secured an injunction. The USDA now says the lawsuit is moot because it has withdrawn the permit.

Get the Story:
Indians Make U.S. Take Out the Trash (The Wall Street Journal 8/17)
USDA Revokes Trash Shipping Permit (KITV 8/17)

Related Stories:
Yakama Nation lawsuit blocks shipment of waste from Hawaii (8/12)
Yakama Nation halts shipment of garbage to landfill by reservation (8/4)
Yakama Nation files suit to halt shipment of garbage from Hawaii (7/29)