PHOENIX — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced an agreement with the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to clean up and close the Tuba City Dump site, located near Upper and Lower Moenkopi on the Hopi Reservation and Tuba City on the Navajo Nation. Under this agreement, BIA will remove waste from Tribal lands, backfill the site with clean material, and conduct routine groundwater monitoring.
“Hopi and Navajo communities have borne the brunt of legacy pollution for too long. This agreement will ensure the Tuba City Dump is properly cleaned, protecting residents’ health and the environment,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “EPA appreciates that, by signing this agreement, the BIA has strongly committed to expending the resources needed for moving the waste off-site and achieving clean closure.”
The Tuba City Dump was operated by BIA as an unregulated open dump for local Tribal communities from the 1950s until 1997. Covering about 41 acres, it contains approximately 307,000 cubic yards of material in its disposal areas. After ceasing operations in 1997, BIA regraded part of the area, applied a temporary soil cover, and fenced off the site. However, EPA found that BIA did not comply with federal closure requirements including groundwater monitoring and recordkeeping.
Prior to finalizing this agreement, EPA provided representatives from both Tribes an opportunity to review and comment on a draft version. Public comments on this agreement will be accepted through June 28, 2024. Additionally, public meetings are scheduled for May 28 and 29, 2024.
For more information regarding public comments or meetings related to this project visit EPA’s Public Notice webpage on Administrative Order on Consent for Removal and Cleanup of the Tuba City Dump; Hopi Reservation and Navajo Nation (Arizona). Further details can also be found on EPA’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Laws and Regulations webpage as well as their Ground Water Monitoring Requirements webpage.
