SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- More than 20 percent of the tribal governments in the U.S. Pacific Southwest don't have access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation, the EPA said.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency convened a gathering of more than 500 tribal environmental leaders at a conference in San Francisco to discuss environmental programs on tribal lands.
The EPA said more than 80 percent of the tribal governments in the Pacific Southwest have environmental programs, up from 10 percent a decade ago. More than 20 percent, however, lack access to clean water and basic sanitation, the EPA said. There are more than 1,000 open dumps on tribal lands, the agency added.
EPA Region 9 Administrator Jared Blumenfeld said the tribal conference was a unique opportunity in the region.
"This conference, one of the largest gatherings of its kind, is a venue for tribal, state and federal leaders and environmental professionals to share successes and apply that knowledge to the unique environmental issues facing Indian country today," he said.
The environmental agency said it gave tribal governments more than $76 million this year to develop water treatment systems, air pollution control mechanisms and solid waste management projects.
