Bad River Tribe to Administer Water Quality Standards
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently approved the application from the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (located in northern Wisconsin) to administer the water quality standards (WQS) program.
The agency’s finding that the Tribe is eligible to be treated in a manner similar to a state for administering the WQS program is the first step toward ensuring that all surface waters within the exterior boundaries of the Tribe’s reservation are protected by standards under Section 303(c) of the Clean Water Act.
The final step -- approval of the Tribe’s WQS -- will require a separate action by EPA.
For more information about the recent approval action, contact Daniel Cozza.
There are currently 35 Indian tribes across the United States with WQS effective under the Clean Water Act. For more information on EPA’s Indian Tribal approvals to date, visit http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/tribes/approvtable.htm.