Effects of Dumping | Recycling | Other Links | Contact Information
Current Program
The Iowa Tribe has secured funds from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to complete two solid waste projects. These projects have focused on identifying roadside and other open dumps on Iowa Lands and characterizing these dumps to determine if any hazards exist and how they could adversely impact the environment. The Office of Environmental Services is also working towards finalizing the Tribe's Solid Waste Code and Solid Waste Management Plan.
The Iowa Tribe's Office of Environmental Services is in the last phase of the project which is to clean up the sites and transfer the refuge to a legal permitted disposal facility. Solicitations for bids have been submitted and hopefully, the open dumps will be removed by the end of summer 2008.
During the summer of 2008, the Iowa Tribe's Office of Environmental Services cleaned up the open dumps that were identified and transferred the refuge to a permitted disposal facility.
Effects of Dumping
In addition to the immediate health effects posed by improper disposal of solid waste in open dumps, the pollution defaces native tribal lands, contaminates drinking water, destroys farmlands, and invites vector borne diseases. However, it is the tribe's belief that the greatest threat from all dump sites is to the surrounding surface water and groundwater supplies.
When it rains, surface water becomes contaminated from these dump sites and percolates into our groundwater and therefore, polluting the Tribe's drinking water source. As many tribal members are reliant on untreated well water for drinking, these illegal dumps pose a threat to the health of our Tribal Members as well as in the surrounding communities.
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These pictures on this page are just a few examples of the dumping that is occurring on our sacred Iowa Lands. Please do your part, stop littering and dumping and start appreciating the land for its natural beauty and the valuable resources that it provides.
Recycling
Download our Recycling Brochure PDF
A questionnaire was sent to Tribal members who live close to the Tribal Complex. From this survey, we found that more Tribal members would recycle if there was a recycling center located closer to them. We also found that many member either travel to Stillwater and even Oklahoma City to recycle. The following are the answers to 2 questions asked on the survey.
Question #3: Do you recycle?
| Response (N = 21): | |
| Yes | 62% |
| No | 38% |
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If yes, what do you recycle? Response (N = 13): |
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| Paper | 46% |
| Plastic | 46% |
| Tin | 15% |
| Metal | 54% |
| Aluminum cans | 100% |
| Glass bottles | 8% |
| Cardboard | 15% |
| Other | 0% |
Where do you recycle (city)?
| Response (N = 13): |
| Cushing |
| Meridian |
| Oklahoma City |
| Stillwater |
| Other*** |
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Notes: Other*** = includes taking aluminum cans to the Tribal police or gave to a organizational group collecting aluminum cans. |
Question #4: If the Tribe had a Recycling Center (i.e., a drop-off center), would you use the center?
| Response (N = 21): | |
| Yes | 95% |
| No | 5% |
Because recycling is an important issue to many Tribal members and it will help preserve our earth for future generations, the Office of Environmental Services is researching ways to beginning a recycling program to the area surrounding the Tribal Complex.
Other Links
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Waste & Recycling Program
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 Solid Waste Indian Programs
- A Recycling Revolution
- BuyRecycled.com
Contact Information
Please contact Zachary Butler at the Iowa Tribe's Office of Environmental Services if you have any questions.
Phone: 405-547-5433 Ext. 353
Email: zbutler@iowanation.org
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