Saw this on the 6 O'Clock news...seems the Nooksack tribe has a junkyard, but now that it is spilling into the Nooksack river they won't clean it up.



""There's regular household garbage, there's car parts, there's batteries, just about anything imaginable that you could throw away could be in that site," said Carl Weimer, Whatcom County Solid Waste. "We simply can't allow that kind of activity in such a critical area."

Dozens of acres of junk, some of it toxic, sits there, ready to contaminate the Nooksack.

It's the same river government leaders have spent years and millions trying to protect.

"This is so counter to what we've been working for. It's unacceptable and it needs to be rectified as soon as possible," said Pete Kremen, Whatcom County Executive.

Everyone agrees with that, even the owners who say the river is taking away their property, and the man who guards the dump and watches it happen every day.

"If something's not done, the river is going to cut through this piece of property and through the piece next door, the river's trying to straighten itself out," said Tracy, the guard.

Strong winter runoff is scouring out a bend in the river taking a little more land, trees and dump with it each day.

Everyone sees it happening, but feels powerless to stop it.

This land is owned by Nooksack tribal members, but it's not on tribal land. And it's all tied up in a jurisdictional jumble between the Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs, the state, and the county, and until they iron out who's responsible, it will just sit there and crumble into the river. "

Full story at:

http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_021605ENBnooksackKC.b5b74677.html



Mike

Are we stupid or what????These are the people we let have casinos and not pay taxes and we give them half of our fish and shellfish and watch as they kill wild fish in nets with impunity....These are the stewards of Mother Earth>>>>>?????

"Stewards of Mother Earth" ..... exactly what I was going to post. What can I do that will really matter or make a difference?

Are the tribes really trying this HARD to get their treaty's revoked???

Seriously, how much crap can they honestly get away with before the government says enough???

James

Unfortunately about as much as they want. If anyone trys to stand up they are racist. The Govt. has created a monster that will more than likely always go unchecked. Its a shame.

I usaully don't get on a soap box about to much or give my 2 cents that often but I seen this on the news tonight as well and and it made me sick. Come'on lets forget about all the tribal opinions, and politics, and river clean up money and figures to point in some direction and just get someone out thier with a piece of heavy equipment and push that junk away from the river please. It really can't cost that much money or warrent alot of dicision does it. I pray something is done about this soon.

clint

Come on white boys, it's just a stupid river. Do you think anyone really cares? Grow up!

"The Pile"

Slow down next time you drive to Hoodsport and take a good look at how those stewards are living .

SO SAD!

Just makes me sick!

Thanks Mike!

That amazing

I may have my facts wrong, but this is a private dump on traditional tribal land. The dump was originally quite a ways from the river but the river is cutting anew channel. The owners claim they don't have money to clean it up, and the BIA refuses to help, since it is a private landfill. I'm not sure why the tribe is getting blamed for this. The other problem around cleanup is all the environmental regulations put in place to protect the river are prohibiting people from removing stuff along the edge. This is a case of too much bureaucracy and lack of common sense rather than a tribal issue.

We need to re-enact that TV commercial from the 70's, but instead of the Indian with a tear in his eye we could use some anglers with vests on and rods in their hands.

Tuna Man:

The Nooksack Tribe owns the land it is on. There is a caretaker that watches over the place, and I'm sure he has been hollering for some time about the rivers movements and loss of bank.

No one can say that the Nooksack's didn't know about it. It is their land, therefore their responsibility to clean up.

What if this land was owned by a Non-indian????

The FINES, alone, would be enormous, and I'm sure both the State and Fed. governments would be all over the site.

That river bank didn't change overnight...I'm sure they have known about it for some time now...and have done nothing.

That's why were pi$$ed. If a non-inidian wanted to go in there and clean it up, I doubt the tribe would allow it.

Mike

Whereabouts on the river is that? I tried going to the full story but they want all my info.

StillyD: Use the following link and type in http://www.King5.com, really useful all over the web.

http://www.bugmenot.com/

Doesn't surprise me a bit looks like most of the reservations, wheres the indian from the old commercials with the tear running down his face as hes looking at the garbage when you need him. Your tax dollars will clean it up don't worry. Just another example of how their stewards of the environment and all all the other crap they preach is just B.S.

Long time lurker, first time poster. I've enjoyed reading this site for a while now and I am impresed by everyones knowlege and respect for our northwest salmon and steelhead. I saw this thread and was curious what it takes to be listed as a EPA superfund site? It would seem that this location would at least be eligeable for some government money, afterall, the tribes are already in the loop when it comes to government funding. It would seem like this would be the best way the fedral government to spend their $$$ when it comes to the tribes!!

The government shouldn't spend one penney of OUR money to clean this up. The person or people who own the land and manage (or mismanage as it were) the junkyard should be held responsible and treated as anyone else. As posted earlier if this was on white mans land the fines would be astronomical. This did not happen overnight and it is hogwash for anyone involved to throw their hands up this late in the game and claim no responsibility.

Besides, looks to me like the tribe should have enough money to take care of it. http://www.nooksackcasino.com/

if the site is damaging the rivers eco-system.... all fishing rights should be witheld until its cleaned up. thats what 50% means in my mind..... 50% of the responsibility not just 50%of the profits and then subsidise any losses to the gen public.
any nation not willing to take 50% of the responsibility should be considered to have forfited their fishing/managerial rights.
doesnt the boldt decision have a clause that reads similar to that?

Does anyone have that picture of the Indian crying because of the pollution?

"I think the tribes lost it!!!"