Commercial Solid and Hazardous Waste Disposal Projects on Indian Lands

Abstract

Recently, the media has created a steady drumbeat of misinformed stories claiming that Indian tribes and reservations alone have been targeted by waste companies, and that the waste industry is marauding unchecked in Indian country immune from any environmental regulation. This article analyzes the controversial issue of using Indian reservations as sites for commercial solid and hazardous waste facilities and provides a model for planning, developing, and regulating commercial waste projects on Indian lands. The article concludes that, under certain circumstances, and with an adequate regulatory program, a waste disposal project may be a viable and appropriate form of industrial development for some tribes and can provide opportunities for economic development on some reservations